Hannah Gula’s weightlifting training regime is gruelling, but fulfilling. She trains twice a day, six or seven times a week.
She is currently on a training path to prepare her to try to qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics which will take place in Los Angeles.
Her interest in weightlifting at a competitive level began with gymnastics, which she practiced for ten years. Gymnastics led to CrossFit, which combines elements of gymnastics, high-intensity cardio, and weightlifting.
“At first, I was really good at the gymnastics side, but not so good at the weightlifting side,” says Hannah. This spurred her to take lessons at Superior CrossFit to improve her ability to lift weights. “I signed up for a competition there, and I ended up qualifying for provincials.”
Hannah was finding herself enjoying the challenge of weightlifting more than she anticipated.
“I like that it’s a black-and-white sport, you either lift the weight or you don’t, so there is always something to improve on. There is a lot of reflection that comes with a missed lift, but there is always something tangible to work on and to improve your technique for next time. I really love to compete as well, I love going on stage.”
Hannah qualified to nationals from provincials and realized she had some potential in the sport. “It took off from there,” she says.
The competitive weightlifting community in Thunder Bay is pretty small, so Hannah’s coach is based in Toronto.
She travels there once or twice a month to train or compete. “I’ve made the national team four times, so with that there are always a lot of other people going and it’s fun to get to spend the time with like-minded athletes.”
The road to the Olympics is a daunting one, but Hannah says it keeps her motivated.
She has a competition in November, and one in May which will help to set her up for qualification.
“There are 8 to 10 different competitions over a two year period that determine if you will be going forward. You have to be ranked top 10 in the world in the circuit, as well as the top competitor in your country because you can only send one person per country per weight class,” she explains. “Even if it doesn’t work out, I’m gaining a lot of great life skills and getting to see a lot of places I would not see otherwise.”
Although she doesn’t have a lot of time for other forms of physical activity, Hannah says when she can fit it in she enjoys getting outdoors and hiking, swimming, or paddleboarding.
The road ahead will be challenging, but Hannah is ready to embrace it.
