USAWA Getting Involved
By Sanjiv Gupta
In going back through some of the athlete’s biographies on the website and the majority of USAWA athletes were introduced to All-Round Weightlifting by existing members who also competed in Olympic Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Strongman and/or Scottish Highland Games. No small number of athletes were related to an existing member by blood or marriage.
There are rare occasions when folks like me come across the USAWA via an article in a mainstream publication like The CrossFit Journal or looking up “Bent Press” in an internet search engine.
However, we should keep in mind that these rare occasions are what led to the founding of IAWA and USAWA. Folks wanted to continue the long-standing tradition of old-time weightlifters and preserve the history of the original forms of weightlifting.
I feel like anybody can compete in All-Round Weightlifting. In fact, of the (219) lifts in the records list, (161) do not require any special equipment, another (14) require an easily sourced Fulton Bar and another (10) require an easily sourced ring for finger lifts. The only difficult lifts to train are the (10) requiring a heavy bar and harnesses, Foot Press, and Back Lift.
I started out just doing the Postal Meets and having a lot of fun with it. $25/year membership was reasonable, and I started experimenting with lifts I had never dreamed of. My turning point came when I went to the 2023 National Championships and got to meet all the lifters, hear the stories, and find out what has gone on behind the scenes to keep the USAWA alive and relevant.
Now, I want to help grow the USAWA. The first but not necessarily easiest step is to trick my spouse and children into competing. A part of that will be securing my status as a Level 1 Official. This is a somewhat easier task of taking a written exam and completing (3) practical training sessions. Some of the sessions can be virtual, but at least one should be under the supervision of an existing Level 2 Official. Finally, I need to rope some of my friends into participating through the Postals, a formal sanctioned meet or an informal throwdown. You never know when a picture on social media will spark the fire of the next generation of All-Round Weightlifters.
