Sam Maxwell Washington Strength and Power HoF inductee 2021

By Strength and Power Hall of Fame

A brief personal history: 
I grew up in Auburn Washington, and played a variety of sports as a kid, including tennis, football, baseball, wrestling, track and field. 
In eighth grade our football coach took some of our team to the high school, which had a great weightlifting program, and we were able to meet and receive coaching from Jerry Damey, who was an Auburn High School coach and math teacher. He, along with John Thrush, ran the Calpian weightlifting club. 
I trained at the high school for a short time during eighth grade, and in ninth grade after wrestling season, I returned to the high school and started training seriously and lifted in my first meet.  
When I started high school, I found my passion for the sport and began weightlifting full-time. 
I made steady progress and by the end of high school I won the Junior Olympics and totaled 290 kg. I was very serious as a junior lifter and I wanted nothing more than to go to the Olympics. 

By the end of my Junior career, I had broken several Junior American records and became the first American Junior under 200 pounds to clean and jerk 200 kg. This record stood for 34 years until Harrison Maurus broke it in 2018, doing 200 
as an 81kg. Interestingly the only 2 Juniors to ever Clean and Jerk 200kg at under 200lbs bodyweight, are both from Auburn, Washington. What are the odds of that?
My senior career had its ups and downs, and not making the 1988 Olympic Team was a major disappointment, but I trained very hard for the next year and made the world team in 1989. That was my final international competition. 
As a small consolation, I was selected to be NBC’s color commentator for Weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. So, I did eventually achieve my goal of going to the Olympics, just not as an athlete!
Overall, my experience in the sport was very positive and I wouldn’t change a thing. I was very proud to represent the USA, I was able to travel the world at a young age, have many unforgettable experiences, and meet a lot of great people along the way. 
I also think that I learned more from my setbacks than my victories. Those experiences turned out to be great life lessons that made me a stronger person.
Those lessons, in addition to the discipline and hard work that I learned in weightlifting, led to the success that I’ve had after my competitive days were over. 
None of this would’ve been possible if Jerry Damey and John Thrush had not spent countless hours coaching me and pushing me to be better. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for them. 
I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve been able to pass on the sport to my two sons. Neither one is a competitive lifter at the moment, but they’ve trained for many years since they were kids and learned the benefits of hard work and discipline which has helped them in their lives and sports.

What lead you to your sport?
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Achievements in your sport:
2 - Junior Worlds
5 - International Junior events
1 - Senior Worlds 
5 - International Senior events
3 - Junior Nationals
3 - Junior Olympics
6 - National Junior events
2 - American Championships
7 - Senior Nationals
3 - Olympic festivals
2 - Olympic trials -athlete
1 - Olympic trials - coach
1 - Olympic trials - Television commentator (NBC)
1 - Olympic games - Television commentator (NBC)
1 - Senior Worlds - announcer

 State, National and World records:
Junior American Record Clean and Jerk of 200kg. (440.9 lbs.) at 90kg. (198 lbs.) set in 1984 is one of top Lifts In USA WL history (by Sinclair formula), both senior and junior. Also was first and only American Junior to lift 200kg. at under 200 lbs. bodyweight.

Author: By Strength and Power Hall of Fame Completed: yes Created: Sat Oct 30 23:49:38 UTC 2021 | Last Updated: Sun Dec 24 23:28:52 UTC 2023