Last month, Bowdoin first-year Kevin Trinh competed in the National Junior Weightlifting Championships in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and finished sixth out of 44 in his weight class. 

Trinh plans on continuing with the sport until his mid-20s, going to national meets whenever he can. His next competition will be the University Nationals this September. As far as preparation, he will need to recover well and plan an agenda for summer training. Trinh also plans to spend more time with the Bowdoin Weightlifting Club that he helped to found this year.

At the competition last month, Trinh competed in the “A” group of the 69 kg (152 lbs) weight class. Each lifter was given three attempts at two lifts called the snatch and the clean & jerk. As explained by Trinh, the snatch is a lift started on the ground. With a wide grip and in one smooth movement, the lifter brings the weight straight above his or her head. The clean & jerk is divided into two movements; the clean is the move that brings the weight up to the shoulders, and the jerk is a full explosive movement to press the weight above the head. Trinh got a snatch weight of 102 kg (224.8 lbs) and a clean & jerk total of 130 kg (286.6 lbs).

“As far as my own performance,” said Trinh, “I did not hit any personal records, which in a way was a disappointment; but at the same time, I did hit fairly high numbers.”

Had he hit the numbers he had hoped to, Trinh would have placed fifth rather than sixth.Trinh was first introduced to the sport of weightlifting in high school. He began competing on the football and wrestling teams and spent his off-season in the weight room during the spring. The supervisor of the weight room happened to also be the weightlifting coach, so he recognized Trinh’s talent and recruited him for the team.

He began entering competitions his sophomore year in high school. This is not the first time Trinh has competed on the national stage: he lifted at Youth Nationals in 2013, where he took first place.

Since Bowdoin does not have a weightlifting team, Trinh does not have a coach while here at school. He has been competing a lot less in college but makes sure to prepare intensively for specific meets like the Junior Championships. 

During Trinh’s first semester at Bowdoin, he notes that training was challenging, as he was still adjusting to college and his workload. However, by second semester he has figured out how to manage his schedule better. This semester, he spent more time in the weightroom than in classes. He pulled this feat off without missing any class.

Trinh’s last competition before February’s Junior Championships was back in June.

“It was a strange feel that I was returning back to lifting in front of a platform in front of a crowd,” said Trinh. “But it was definitely something I looked forward to. It’s not something that happens all the time and so I value it more in that sense.”

At this year’s Junior Championships, Trinh’s weight class was incredibly talented. One lifter was the son of a gold-medal Olympian, and another holds the youth world record. Trinh, however, was up for the challenge.

“Coming into this competition, I knew there were some pretty big names in my weight class. But at the same time, I was really excited to be on the platform with these guys, giving it my all.”

Trinh’s favorite part about competing is the mental component. Some lifters might be very good in training but crack under pressure when it comes to the platform, with a huge crowd of people watching. He prides himself on coming into competition with a strong mindset, and not buckling under the competition.