Weightlifter Matt Boydston is training for the 2020 Olympics.

Allen, TX--(October 30, 2014)--Software developer by day, weightlifter by….every other waking hour! Matt Boydston, new to TriTech’s Premium Tax group, is currently training for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Matt trains six to seven days a week, between two and three hours a day, and plans to add an additional training session every morning. He trains at Spoon Barbell of Richardson, TX under Coach Richard Flemming.

“It’s sometimes tough to do while working full time, but if it was easy, everyone would do it. At least that’s what Coach tells me,” Matt said.

"I know with absolute certainty that I will achieve my goals because I will work harder and want it more than anyone else."

- Matt Boydston

The Sport

The sport of weightlifting consists of two lifts: the snatch and the clean & jerk. In the snatch, the athlete lifts the barbell from the floor to overhead in a single movement. In the clean & jerk, the athlete lifts the barbell first from the floor to the shoulders (the clean, pictured right) and then from the shoulders to overhead (the jerk). These lifts place a very high emphasis on technique and explosive strength.

“Training can get monotonous at times, as it mainly consists of just the snatch and the clean and jerk. There are also quite a few bad days in training where I just can’t hit the numbers I’m supposed to be hitting. It’s during these tough times that it’s important to remember why you are training and to keep your focus on long-term goals,” Matt said.

Matt first began training specifically for weightlifting sometime around July of 2014. Prior to that, he had been doing general weight training for several years, and he played rugby in college for UT Dallas.

“I made the transition to weightlifting because rugby is a pretty rough sport, and at the time I didn’t have health insurance and figured that I should quit pushing my luck,” Matt said.

Matt has had a yearning desire to be great in something for as long as he can remember. He feels it would be a great honor to represent the United States on an international stage. This goal may seem impossible to some, but Matt’s determination does not waiver.

The Dream

A country can send a maximum of five weightlifters and, based on history, the United States will most likely only be able send one or two weightlifters to the 2020 Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Committee will choose the top weightlifters in the country who they feel have the best chance to place highest at Olympics. If there is an 85kg lifter who would probably place 8th, but a 105kg lifter who would probably place 5th, they would send the 105kg lifter, even if the 85kg lifter had a higher Sinclair total. The Sinclair total is the result of a formula used to compare weightlifters of different weight classes.

Right now Matt’s best lifts in competition are 85kg in the snatch, and 107kg in the clean and jerk. He will have to at least double both of these lifts to have a chance at going to the Olympics.

“I’ve only been lifting for a few months, and they say that you need to log at least 7000+ hours of training to completely hone your technique. I know with absolute certainty that I will achieve my goals because I will work harder and want it more than anyone else,” Matt said.