Piece of the Platform – Volume 7
Welcome to piece of the platform. As Athletes ourselves and as Technical Officials, we’re really lucky that we get to spend time with, know, work or train alongside some really fantastic people from within the weightlifting community. We’re even luckier still that some of those people have agreed to a take part in our mini interviews, that we’ve coined ‘Piece of the Platform’.
We’ve reached out to Coaches, Technical Officials, BWL staff, Athletes and volunteers, and we’ve asked them all some variation of the same 4 questions. The answers we’ve had back have been inspiring, funny, helpful and thought provoking – so we’ve collated them here, as an addendum to the learning resources, to pool that collective knowledge and advice in the hope that you’ll enjoy reading them just as much as we did.
Angela Wyss – Coach & Athlete – Swiss National Champion
Want to know more about Angela?
@alketis
What’s your favourite thing about weightlifting ?
As an athlete:
The immense amount of knowledge I gain on myself every day in training. The individuality of this sport and the mental challenges are very identity-affirming and this has made me a considerably stronger and more secure person.
As a coach:
Obviously noticing technical improvements overtime is a massive win, but on the more general side, I enjoy the side of coaching that goes beyond just competence. Skills are great, but presence, enthusiasm, sense of humour and curiosity towards your athletes is what I believe really makes this job rewarding and what makes you stand out.
What one piece of advice would you give to athletes about competition?
Many athletes rely on one or two main competitions in the year to judge their athletic worth. I understand the desire to narrow down your focus and be the most prepared you can be, but in reality, you can optimise everything up to your eyeballs and still have a tough day on the platform. So in your early years of lifting, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Enjoy testing yourself often and build some experience, because competing is a skill. You can be dedicated, and relaxed at the same time.
What do you think BWL and the Technical Officials do well, and what could we do better?
I’ve only ever had good experiences with BWL events and TOs in person. However there is likely a lack of resources whether human or financial, as I think the organisation could do a better job at communicating to athletes throughout the year and not leaving things like competition deadlines, new rules and regulations down to the last minute. Hopefully with the sport becoming more popular and attracting bigger audiences there can be a more consistent framework which would boost credibility. “In Switzerland, every season is very consistent as there aren’t that many ‘Open’ competitions: while in the UK you could do a tier 3 comp nearly every weekend if you wanted to, in Switzerland we have a specific season calendar and following this is the only way you can really compete and progress up the ranks. There is a national league and a regional league based on your level, which means the system is a lot more predictable and you usually see the same faces! The TOs are all accredited by IWF so you also always see the same ones. But it’s also a small country and there is no where near as many athletes as the UK!
If you could ask your favourite lifter one question, who are they and what would that be?
Olivia Reeves
“please give me your squat programme?!”