Teen weightlifters score medals at Nationals

Tuesday 17 August 2021

A duo of teen weightlifters from Jersey have secured silver and bronze medals at the British Nationals after just two years of training.

Gabby Proper (15) and Jorja Clarke (15) are part of the Jersey Sport Foundation’s Youth Weightlifting Talent Programme and won a bronze and silver medal respectively.

The programme follows on from the charity's 'Power to Podium' Programme, which aims to prove Jersey can produce athletes able to compete at high level with a good coaching environment and the right system behind the athletes, and has seen various success with Olympic weightlifter Charlotte Neale and para-lifter Rachel Leck who both made history for the island in their disciplines.

Gabby and Jorja recently competed at the 2021 British Weightlifting Championships, which was held virtually due to the pandemic, and received a Bronze and Silver medal respectively in the under 15 category.

Each had to carry out a ‘snatch’, a single continuous movement whereby the athlete lifts the bar over the head to the full extent of both arms, and a ‘clean and jerk’, which is a movement that involves two phases where the bar is lifted to the chest before being jerked overhead.

In the under 49kg class, Gabby lifted a total of 86kg: 38 in her snatch and 48 in her ‘clean and jerk’. Meanwhile, in the under 59kg class, Jorja lifted 45kg and 60kg, making a total of 105kg.

Pictured: From left, Gabby, Jorja, and Charlotte.

Their performance, which earned them their first major step on the national talent pathway, a spot in the BWL Southern Regional Talent Squads, was commended by John Scriven, their coach.

“It is a fantastic achievement by two young passionate lifters who have managed to remain very consistent and in good spirits throughout covid,” he said. “To come out of this year and get on the platform is a brilliant achievement, and both girls are helping to keep Jersey being recognised as a powerhouse in weightlifting talent.

“It is no small feat keeping up with a population of £65millon and they are right up there, both girls are a credit to the sport and the island and I am excited about where they will go once physical competitions start happening again.

“The main thing is the girls love it and are flourishing, which is a brilliant success story, which we all need more of right now.”

Jorja and Gabby only started training with the Jersey Sport Foundation two years ago.

Pictured: Jorja and Gabby, with fellow athlete Charlotte, at the JSF's training facility.

Gabby, who practices netball and athletics, signed up after seeing an advertisement and deciding it was something she'd like to "try out".

"I never had any weightlifting experience prior to my first session but everyone was very comforting and helped me to learn," she said.

Jorja didn’t have any experience either - despite weightlifting running in her genes - and admits her first training session was “quite daunting”.

“Everyone at the JSF was so lovely and I ended up loving it!” she added.

“I wanted to try weightlifting out, as the sport runs through generations of my family, and my dad thought I might want to have a go. I really enjoyed it! Before weightlifting, I had been a dancer in the World Cup and placed second in my category for ballet. I have also done a bit of gymnastics and Thai boxing in the past.”

Both were delighted with their results, especially after training from home, receiving coaching sessions over Zoom and competing virtually.

“It was weird at first but it’s now the norm” Gabby said. “It is still a fun experience but isn’t the same as competing in real life as you do not have the same adrenaline rush as you do competing on stage.”

“It feels really great to receive a medal In Nationals I placed third this year and had previously placed first last year,” she added. “It is a great feeling and makes you want to challenge yourself even more.”

“Receiving my placement and medal at the British championships was so exciting and a huge achievement for me,” Jorja said. “It’s another huge step forward in my weightlifting journey!”