In the world of giants in strength sports there are a couple of things that are important to address even besides the lifts and your performance. I realize that we try very hard in our sport and may feel we deserve all recognition that comes our way, rightfully so, you earned it by sweating, bleeding and working your ass off. While this may seem like you get a nice chip on your shoulder, how do you carry yourself outside of your own performance?
Think back to the time when you first started lifting, most people had someone to look up to, who was it? Now ask yourself why you looked up to them. Think of this scenario, picture the last person you met who was famous and you were so excited to meet them. If they were a jerk I bet the light you shined upon them was a bit dimmer after that. If they were nice, did you rave about them even more? I personally really don’t give a shit if you are famous or not, because of one simple reason. We are all people, in the same setting, trying to achieve the same goal; get stronger.
So if you decide because you mustered over everyone at a national meet that you can go be a dick about it, I really wouldn’t recommend it. If we truly want to grow as a group of sports (strongman, powerlifting, olympic weightlifting, supertotal, bodybuilding etc) then we need to lead by setting a good example. There is no need to make someone feel inferior simply because you lift more than they do or because you are bigger than they are. If someone on my team started acting like that they would get kicked out until they got their act together and learned to be a little more humble. Everyone had a starting point, so did you, remember where you started too.
For those of you who are famous in your sport who are appreciative, kind and simply a class act, thank you. Your example is what will make people feel empowered and try their best. It is unfortunate we have to have gyms with “Lunk Alarms” simply because people are intimidated by what we do. Treat everyone with compassion, think of who helped you when you first started, and you will be surprised how much you get in return.
I have had multiple instances where this has been an issue, especially being an athlete in one of the lowest powerlifting weight classes because I am small. Back in May I broke a deadlift state record twice and qualified to go to National Championships and World Championships. As a deadlifter I tend to flourish pulling sumo. The lift was fast, clean, and was an extremely exciting moment for me because it was a big personal record that I did not expect to hit at the meet going into it.. After the refs checked my equipment and I began to walk off the platform someone proceeded to snicker in my direction, “Doesn’t count because its sumo.” I didn’t think much of it at the time but realized this would be a good topic to discuss with you all. If someone didn’t have a thick skin, imagine how that could have made someone with low self esteem feel. Probably not very good.
When I personally go to a meet, I always try to be a supportive, compassionate and helpful to everyone, as an athlete and as a coach. That is the spirit of our sport, to make people be the most competitive they can be. However, if you go in with the mindset that everyone is against you and that everyone is your enemy, you are going to be one miserable person. Be as competitive as you like, but have fun and help others have fun too. As coaches and athletes we have one job for our team, to try our best and to support one another. Why would that change between athletes, between teams, or even between federations? Get out there, go have an awesome time and make friends. Be remembered as the person that everyone liked. Most people won’t remember what you lifted anyway, but they WILL remember if you made them feel a certain way off the platform.