Up Lifting

Name: Carissa Gump

Olympic sport: Women’s weight lifting

Age: 24, turn 25 the day of closing ceremonies in Beijing

Occupation: 24 Hour Fitness front desk receptionist

You24.com: It’s the night before you leave for Beijing. How are you feeling?
Carissa Gump: I’m not nervous right now. I was more nervous for the Olympic Trials. I packed last night. I know when I leave tomorrow it’s going to hit me, and when I arrive in Beijing it’s going to hit me again. When you work at something for 12 years and then it’s actually happening, it’s just unbelievable. No matter what the outcome is, it feels good that I made the team, but I really want to do well.

How much training did it take for you to get here?
I was training 11 times a week leading up to the Olympic Trials, but now I’m down to eight times a week—between 20-25 hours a week. And we have a recovery center where I train. So I go to the training center at 8 in the morning and leave at 8 at night.

What motivates you to keep up such a vigorous training schedule?
I think most elite athletes have an inner drive within them to always want to do better. I want to be one of the best in the world.

Obviously you want to win Olympic gold. But what is your specific weight lifting goal?
My goal for this Olympics is to have the best day I could possibly have. I want to go in and fight for it. I think I’m ready for a snatch personal record of 204 pounds. My best clean and jerk is 264 pounds, but I’ve done about 15 more pounds than that in training.

How did you get started weight lifting?
When I was 13 years old there was an after-school program offered at my middle school. My teacher approached me about trying it. I tried for 2 days, and then I quit. My teacher said, “you’re fast and explosive, and that’s what you need to be to be a weight lifter.” I tried it again, and in 2 months I qualified for Junior Nationals. I was able to travel and meet other girls who weight lift and do what I do. You almost get addicted to the sport.

Do you think women’s weight lifting will win people’s attention this year?
It’s only the third Olympic Games for women to compete. We will grow, and hopefully the public will pay attention. We may not become a mainstream sport, but we’ll be something that people are familiar with.

Do you think this will be your first and last Olympics?
My husband and I want to start a family, so I want to focus on my family, my schooling, and my husband. We may have a couple of children by the next Olympics.