Michaela Forgacova

How did you first get involved in your sport?

I moved to the UK when I was 16 and lived with my older brother for 3 years while I was doing my A Levels. He is a passionate sportsperson himself and was religiously doing CrossFit which is a combination of gymnastics, cardio and Olympic Weightlifting movements. I tagged along one day and loved it, and especially the Olympic weightlifting movements felt natural. I was hooked and spent the best 2 years doing CrossFit. Later, I moved to London to study at Brunel University where they had an established Olympic Weightlifting club. That was the time where I made the decision to solely commit to weightlifting for a few years and make the most out of it. During those three years training around elite athletes I learned so much about myself and the sport, however that was only the beginning.

What is a typical week for you?

I train Olympic weightlifting 4-5 days per week, which usually take from 1.5-2 hours, depending on the intensity of the session and considering all the accessory, rehab, and prehab exercises that go along with it. I try to do a few CrossFit sessions on the side, usually once I finished my Olympic weightlifting session. I believe that the extra skills, stamina, and strength only add to my weightlifting performance, although sometimes it might be hard to know the perfect balance between both and not overdo it. However, over the years I have learned to listen to my body and can anticipate when and where I need to focus more at times.

What are your greatest sporting achievements?

On paper, my best performance should be winning a silver medal at the British Championships in the under 20s age group, as that is the biggest competition in the UK. However, to me, my greatest achievements happened over the past year, one of them being the BUCS competition in April. I went there with no expectations, as my training has been at a plateau for quite a while. Anyway, in the middle of the competition my coaches realised I could be in a for a bronze medal and was in very close competition with another girl. With this knowledge something in me switched and I pushed a little harder than I thought I could and finally hit a heavier weight to beat her score. I’ve been chasing this weight for a couple years. A similar thing occurred during a recent competition when I knew I had to hit certain numbers on Snatch and Clean and Jerk (the two Olympic lifts) in order to qualify for the English Championships. I missed the weight I wanted to lift on the Snatch so had to make it up hugely on the Clean and Jerk, which I did. I didn’t place at that competition at all, but again, the strength I found within me that day was a huge personal achievement.