*drumroll please* Help us welcome C&K athlete Maddi Pannell! If you haven’t heard of her yet, you will soon. This all-star Cal Strength athlete has quickly risen to the top of the weightlifting elite, and here’s what you need to know:
Age: 27
Height: 5’1”
Competition weight class: 49kg
Gym: Cal Strength
Location: Pittsburg, CA
First competition: December 2018
Instagram: @mad.diison
TikTok: @mad.diison
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Athletic background / how she got into weightlifting:
Maddi: I did gymnastics for 10 years and I got into weightlifting through CrossFit. Angel Cardenes introduced me to weightlifting and taught me my first snatch. We lived near each other so he asked if I wanted to trade gymnastics for CrossFit, and that’s how I got into weightlifting.
How she found Cal Strength:
Maddi: I did my first weightlifting competition and I loved it. I didn’t know it was an actual sport that people competed in, but it turns out it is! So that’s where it all started. I began programming for myself, practicing snatch and clean and jerk, and posting it on Instagram. Then someone reached out to me on Instagram and introduced me to Cal Strength. He asked if I wanted to check it out and I did! I didn’t know they had their own YouTube channel or that we had the best weightlifter in the country here. I didn’t know anything. And now I’m here.
Her training schedule and nutrition:
Maddi: Training is 9x a week. Twice a day on MWF, then single days TThS and Sundays off. For nutrition, I count my macros. I’m a nutrition coach as well. That’s my other job so I help other people do it, too.
On the team atmosphere at Cal Strength:
Maddi: We have a pretty tight group right now. I have a really bad memory so what I remember is now, and the team now is great. COVID got us a little closer because we were training full time all together. We had nothing else to do. We had to keep it on the down low for the majority of the time, but we’re all okay and we’re closer for it.
Short-term and long-term goals:
Maddi: Short term is totally 200kg and long term is the Olympics in 2024.
One piece of advice or insight for anyone who wants to get into weightlifting:
Maddi: It depends on your end goal. But whatever your goal is, one piece of advice is to find a good coach and a good program that works for you. And definitely spend the money on recovery.
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We couldn't be more excited to watch Maddi continue to excel and we're honored to be a part of it. For more information on Maddi or to get on her nutrition coaching waitlist, check out her Instagram here.