Fleming College

Congratulations to faculty member Jodi Van Engen, who won gold at the Ontario Masters Open Weightlifting Championships!

Jodi, who teaches fitness programming to Police Foundations and Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training students, has been doing weightlifting training for the past two years.

“It’s always nice to train for something and challenge yourself,” said Jodi. “I tell my students to push themselves – better score, better time… – so I need to practise what I preach. I love fitness, it’s what I live and breathe.”

For more than a year, Jodi has trained four times per week with Coach Codi Armstrong at The CrossFit PTBO Weightlifting Club. She felt well-prepared for the Ontario Masters Open Weightlifting Championships physically, but said her biggest challenge was overcoming nerves.

“Battling my nerves was my biggest challenge,” she said. “Throughout the competition, you’re by yourself. Then you have the judges and the pressure, and you don’t want to mess up your technique because of nerves and you try to keep your composure.”

Jodi said she won the competition by 1 kilo, lifting 76 kilos (clean & jerk) and 63 kilos (snatch).

“It was amazing! It was unexpected, and I’m really proud of myself and I’m really happy with my coach,” said Jodi. “It was totally what I had worked towards, and I had never done 76 kilos before so I really pushed myself.”

Jodi also felt inspired by the other competitors at the event. “I competed in the 30 to 35 age range, but there were people who had competed for so many years—there was a man who was 70!” she said. “And seeing the level of these competitors, there were record-holders there, and seeing the weight they can lift was really inspiring.”

Now that Jodi earned gold, she is now preparing for the Canadian Masters Weightlifting Championships in Gaspé, Quebec in June. She has started a new training plan with her coach and is excited to reach her new goals.

Good luck to Jodi in the Canadian Masters Weightlifting Championships!