16-year-old Ashley Kolomoisky will represent her country on the global stage less than a year into weightlifting
A 16-year-old from Melbourne’s southeast will take her first step towards fulfilling an Olympic dream when she competes on the world stage in July.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A teenager from Melbourne’s south east is preparing to represent the nation on the global stage, less than 12 months after she started training for the sport.
In less than two months Hughesdale’s Ashley Kolomoisky, 16, will travel as one of the youngest members of the Australian contingent to India where she will compete in the Commonwealth Championships for Weightlifting.
She will compete in the women’s under 59kg category in what will be her first international competition in the sport.
Kolomoisky had regularly been participating in crossfit classes and gymnastics as a way to keep fit but last year made the decision to focus on weightlifting as it was the component of crossfit she had enjoyed the most.
In a short time she has proved to be a young woman to watch in the sport, finishing second at the national junior championships last month.
During the competition she completed a 68kg snatch and an 84kg clean jerk.
But she said qualifying in the July championships was “unexpected”.
“It was a massive shock,” Kolomoisky said. “I’m really excited but also have those nerves because I know I’ll be competing against people who have been to these things before.
“I’m just seeing how I go as it goes along. I want to be able to progress as much as I can because I feel I am getting fairly good for my age and weight class.”
On the global stage she has a “sneaky 70kg snatch and possibly around a 90(kg) clean and jerk” in her sights.
If she is successful in July it will be the first step towards fulfilling her dream of competing in the Olympics.
She said she often looks back on her progression over the last year, which has seen her increase her snatch lift by 8kg and her clean and jerk by 10kg.
Her journey to India is one she needs to fund herself.
She needs to raise about $7000 to compete.
A GoFundMe has been set up by her hometown club Melbourne West Barbell Club.
