Mel on Mickey D's Cups
Has there ever been a US weightlifter on a Wheaties box? Not yet.The Waiter's Bow
The sit and reach test stinks. Why? Well, it does not allow one to discriminate between hip and lumbar spine flexion. It tells you NOTHING. The initial testing position puts the hip/torso in 90 degrees of flexion to start; that is an end-range hip flexion position for many. For most, this is only a tortuous test of lumbar flexion. Ever had the pleasure of making a wrestling room full of 9th grade boys try to sit up against the wall while keeping their knees extended? I prefer to use the Waiter's Bow as a assessment tool, and as a warm up or cool down exercise. My goal is to create hip extensor mobility in the context of the neutral spine. The Waiter's Bow is a weight-bearing, AROM test of flexibility that allows you to discriminate hip flexion from lumbar spine flexion. The Waiter's Bow is, in my book, a basic movement comprehension skill everyone should learn. It lays a foundation for advanced training skills and the neutral-spine body awareness that is critica...
Comments
I'd hate for some young person to make a connection between drinking soda from a McDonald's cup to being Olympic in nature ("eat and drink McDonald's food and you can be just like her!").
I'm wishing Melanie the best! Good luck!
Alex
This is a financial opportunity of a lifetime few weightlifters get. The $500 a month they get from USAW is a drop in the bucket to the training, travel, coaching and medical care expenses they incur, if they are not resident athletes at the OTC.
Now, also think about child care (3 kids under 7)--to have a few hours a week to yourself to keep your marriage together--and the thousands of dollars in one-on-one therapy and support services a special needs child may need for the rest of his adult life.
An apt in Beijing for the family to accompany an athlete runs up to $500 per day during the Olympics; airfare is $1300-$1800 each for mom, mother-in-law, son, husband, personal coach. Plus you have to pay for the room and board for your personal coach for the two week training camp prior to the competition as USAW is only paying for 5 days.
Every penny helps. And this athlete relishes every opportunity to break the stereotype of the female weightlifter. So, she takes the good with the less than optimal and does the best she can with it.