Alumnus Weightlifter Has Sights Set on 2020 Olympics
This week, the eyes of the world are on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the 2016 Summer Olympics begin two weeks highlighting athletes who represent both their home countries and the top of their fields of athletic competition.
But it鈥檚 2020 that one 射精视频 alumnus has his sights set on. Ethan Harak, 鈥13, said that鈥檚 when he hopes to have a chance to compete for his country as an Olympic weightlifter.
It might seem like a lofty goal, but it鈥檚 one that Ethan, the son of Dale Harak, associate professor of chemistry at Rockhurst, could be well-equipped to realize after a strong start in the world of competitive weightlifting.
But that doesn鈥檛 mean it will be easy. Harak said competing for his country in 2020 would require devoting a majority of his time to a training regimen to prepare for the national and international competitions that determine the Team USA membership.
鈥淚 know I can do it,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 just have to put in the work.鈥
Harak said it鈥檚 not an opportunity he thought he would have when he was introduced to weightlifting in high school.
鈥淚 had a pretty good mentor,鈥 he said. 鈥淗e was actually my math teacher, too.鈥
It didn鈥檛 take long before Harak was hooked. After high school, he started CrossFit training, refining the snatch and clean and jerk lifting techniques that make up Olympic-level weightlifting events and realizing that he had a chance to compete at the highest levels of the sport.
The first two years of preparing for his professional career at an athlete, Harak was also balancing graduate coursework in chemistry at Indiana University, concentrating in materials chemistry and nanoparticles. Between coursework, research expectations, teaching classes and training, Harak said he had a full schedule.
鈥淓ither chemistry or lifting would normally require a majority of your time,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t was tough, but eventually I worked out a balance by throwing myself completely into one or the other at a time.鈥
That concentration helped in task management, but it鈥檚 also a big part of what makes a successful weightlifter, Harak said.
鈥淵ou put in all that time in the gym and it comes down to a couple of seconds on that platform,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely a mental component to it. You have to be mentally strong.鈥
Harak鈥檚 first competition was the U.S. Nationals in 2014, a few months after he started training in August 2013. He placed second in his weight class at that competition in 2014 and third at the same meet in 2015. He took second in the American Open both in 2014 and 2015. And he was invited to be part of the American team at the 2016 President鈥檚 Russian Cup in Kazan, Russia, where he placed fourth.
It鈥檚 an impressive start, but to qualify for the Olympic team in four years, Harak said he鈥檒l need more international competition experience and improve on those finishes. With his Master of Science degree complete, Harak said he is back in Kansas City, taking on a more flexible schedule as a coach to give himself the time to devote to his own training.
Ethan鈥檚 also not the only weightlifter in the family 鈥 his younger brother, Evan, is a current Rockhurst student who competed in the 2015 USAW Junior National competition.
Follow Ethan鈥檚 journey on Twitter and at .