We all have to start somewhere, and that goes even for the three-time fittest woman in the world. The Olympian, leader of the podium at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 CrossFit Games, and Commonwealth Games gold medalist now knows her way around a barbell better than most; but like every single one of us, she’s been a constant work in progress. Tia-Clair Toomey shared on Instagram video footage of her very first weightlifting meet, and it goes without saying seeing the journey she’s been on is nothing short of inspiring.

The video shows her snatching what appears to be 58kg followed by 63kg (above parallel!), with a miss at 68kg. For those who lift in pounds, these come out to 128, 139, and 150 pounds respectively. While her performance was by no means poor, it certainly looks a lot different from the athlete we all know and love today.

It’s a positive reminder that nobody is perfect, the work never stops, and there’s no magic trick to becoming a better athlete — it’s plain old hard work. Elbow grease. Blood, sweat, and tears.

Fast forward to last year’s Commonwealth Games, and her progress couldn’t be ignored. Toomey took gold in her weight class and left everyone speechless.

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It didn’t end there. Toomey finished the CrossFit Games at the top of the podium not once, not twice, but three times. It’s not just because she’s fast and strong. It’s not just her endurance and versatility. While Toomey is a phenomenal athlete, her mental fitness is also on point — something we got to learn more about when we met up with her for an episode of The Journey.

For years, Tia-Clair Toomey kept her eyes down and put in the work, often competing well but never walking away with first place. After all of her recent successes, it’s refreshing to see the athlete spending more and more time in the spotlight, which she has undoubtedly earned.

Psst! Are you a huge Tia fan? So are we! Check out our interview with her here.

Main image: Tia-Clair Toomey/Facebook

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