By: Lauryn Lax 


Photo By: Josh Mirone, The Athletic Build 

Do you even lift bro?

 

If you are in South Florida during the weekend of November 1st  for the Soul Open 4, you probably do.

 

The Soul Open is the only USAW sanctioned meet in ALL of South Florida, and South of Orlando.

 

What does that mean? It means that competitors’ scores go on their official record with USAW and can qualify them for other National meets—including the American Open.

 

In fact, this year, USA Weightlifting has extended the deadline for applicants to the 2014 American Open.  As a result, The Soul Open will be a LAST CHANCE qualifier for the American Open, as all qualifier applications close November 4th nationwide. 

 

In addition to the annual Soul Open as well, the Florida Weightlifting State Championships will be taking place simultaneously at the event. 

 

Over the past couple years, the sport of weightlifting and USAW, in particular, have witnessed unprecedented growth in its membership, from under 8,000 in 2012 to more than 16,000 as of July 2014.

 

The Soul Open, spearheaded by Coach Danny Lopez-Calleja of CrossFit Soul, has been part of that growth, creating space for the annual competition to happen for both beginners and veterans alike. A total of 215 athletes from all over the U.S. are registered.

 

“We still consider this to be a developmental tournament, and we’ve HIGHLY encouraged beginners and new lifters to attend,” Lopez-Calleja said. 

 

While there will be some new names on the roster, some of these names of other competitors may sound familiar, including, returning Soul Open champs: Andrew Davis and Leo Hernandez, along with:

 

Samantha Briggs 

Garrett Fisher

Lauren Fisher 

Ryan Sennet 

Johnny Medina 

Mattie Rogers 

Julissa Gil

Stefanie Cohen 

Lazaro Rojas

Alec Smith

Mattie Rogers 

Dylan Cooper 

Brad Bouthot 

Emmanuel Maldonado

 

And if you are not competing, but happen to be in the South Florida area or interested in all the action this weekend, you can stop by the MAPS Backlot in the Wynwood Arts District at 342 NW 24th St. in Miami, or catch it here online at http://www.floelite.com. 

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