Lifter preps for Olympic run

SARASOTA COUNTY — The stars seem aligned for weightlifter Andrew Sweeney.

The 2002 Lakewood Ranch High School graduate last month broke his own Florida state record in the snatch — setting a new one at 290.4 pounds.

Now, Sweeney, a certified strength and conditioning specialist at Advanced Fitness and Performance in Sarasota, has his eye on the 2012 Olympic Games.

The timing couldn’t be better for Sweeney, who turns 26 Aug. 15. Male lifters usually peak between 25-30, and Sweeney said he is in the best shape of his life.

“It’s perfect,” he said. “I want to qualify, and to qualify, you have to be the in the top 30 in the world.”

Advanced Fitness owner Joe Seth said a 290-pound lift likely would be enough to earn a spot at the Olympic trials, and with another year to train, he expects Sweeney to pass that mark consistently.

“Andrew’s like a thoroughbred,” Seth said. “You have to hold him back. And when you allow him to go out, you have to remind him there’s another year ahead (before trials).”

Sweeney’s love for the weight room stretches all the way back to his high school days at Lakewood.

“I was always one of the smaller guys in high school, so I just gravitated toward the weight room,” he said. “There, I felt like I could compete. It’s the equalizer with the bigger guys.

“Weightlifting is more about challenging yourself,” Sweeney said. “You compete against yourself, and you have to dig within yourself to be successful. When you’re up there, it’s just you and the bar.”

Sweeney began training with a coach in 1999 and continued through 2004, when he took time off to recuperate from injuries. Sweeney was part of the Junior National Squad in 2001 and 2002. He placed third at the Junior National Championships in 2001 and second in 2002.

Following high school, he enrolled at the University of South Florida, where he majored in exercise science.
“I loved it so much that I majored in it in college,” Sweeney said. “I love the guys, the camaraderie in the gym and the competitiveness.”

Sweeney began training athletes in 2005. He is a certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a personal trainer as well as a USA Weightlifting-certified sports performance coach. He joined Advanced Fitness as an intern in 2009 and, through Seth’s encouragement, eventually returned to the sport competitively.

“When you grab that bar, a switch goes off, and you stop thinking,” he said of competitions. “You lose the fear of the weight, and it just happens. You’re in the zone. And you train to be in the zone.”

However, as much as he loves competing, Sweeney said he’s experienced an even greater joy as a coach.
“When I see my athletes do well at meets — that gets me more excited,” he said. “To get to work with athletes — that’s my passion for the sport. Coaching is my No. 1 love for the sport.”

Contact Michael Eng at [email protected].