ZOEWANTS TOKEEPRAISING THEBAR
“I like that we train with all the heavyweight weightlifters.”
GYMNAST AND WEIGHTLIFTER ZOE CHRISTIE , 9
SHE weighs just 32kg, but nineyear-old Zoe Christie can lift more than 60 per cent of her own body weight.
The little pocket rocket hopes to represent Australia in the Olympic gymnastics team, is currently transitioning to elitelevel tumbling and broke a national weightlifting record last weekend.
Each week Zoe, of Moriac, does 21 hours of gymnastics training in Melbourne, travels fortnightly to Bendigo for tumbling class and does weightlifting when she can.
Last month Zoe was crowned the national champion in the under-11 power tumbling at the Australian Gymnastics Championships, where she was also part of the successful state team. She was also named Victoria’s uneven bars champion and was second overall in the under-level 8 division.
But it is Zoe’s status as Australia’s top-ranked female weightlifter for her weight and age that turns the most heads.
Zoe broke the national record for the under 32kg record by lifting 19kg in the snatch and 24kg in the clean and jerk.
Zoe started weightlifting in the under-15 age group under the advice of her gym coach, who said the sport could help strengthen Zoe’s core strength.
While gymnastics is her primary focus, Zoe trains one to two times a week at the Geelong Weightlifting Club under the guidance of coach Michael Torriero.
“At gym we started to do a lot of work on strength and I tried weights. My coach said I had good strength and I started (weightlifting),” the Moriac Primary School pupil said.
“I like that we train with all the heavyweight weightlifters.”
Mum Katie Christie said her daughter was dedicated to achieving in all three sports and saw each discipline as complementing the other.
“As a parent you do your best to give your children opportunities and Zoe is such a fantastic worker with such great focus,” Mrs Christie said.
“She works her butt off … but we are really focused on education and ensuring there is down time and family time.”
When Zoe is not lifting, tumbling or on the trapeze she loves playing with her black labrador Olivia and spending time with her older sister.