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Olympic lifter – and vegan – Ramona Cadogan has qualified for the World Championships with a national Masters win in the American Pan American Championships.
Competing in the 63 kg category, Cadogan went into the meet knowing what she was capable of – and how well that compared with her rivals.
With lifts of 54kg for snatch and 69kg for clean and jerk, the athlete was well within her capabilities as she has lifted much more in training.
Risk
“My coach said I did not have to go all the way out and risk missing,” she told Great Vegan Athletes [GVA]. “I just followed my competition. I won by 5kg.”
In the same category was the Canadian Masters Champion, who Cadogan was pleased to surpass.
Training
Speaking to GVA about her training, she said: “I have been working with my imbalances. I have stronger quads than hamstrings. Every time I back squat prior I work on weighted hip thrusters to strengthen my hamstrings and gluteus muscles.”
The win sets her up for competition at the highest level in Spain in August this year. “The competition will be much more competitive. My goal is to come close to snatching what I am clean and jerking. It is possible based on how much I can back squat and front squat.
“Since my best current back squat is 120kg and my front squat is 102kg, thus I should be snatching close to 70kg and clean and be jerking about 85kg.”
Power of the mind
And the preparation will focus on her mind as well as her body. The sports star revealed that she has been working on her psychological approach as well as training physically, having tried hypnosis.
“Weightlifting lifting is a mental sport as well as a strength sport,” she said.
“Once I can improve my mental ability more along with some minor technique issues, I will be unstoppable!”
Vegan
In 2000 Cadogan gave up meat and in 2006 she became completely vegan. “I discovered on my own through my own feelings about animal cruelty that I must go vegan,” she told GVA.
There’s been little reaction in the gym and Ramona’s coach hasn’t even brought up the subject.
“I eat a lot of pea protein burgers,” she said,”sometimes I eat tofu, but I try to stay soy free to avoid having high levels of estrogen in my diet. Also, I consume complex carbs like sweet potatoes and pasta as well as a variety of different types of green salads with my homemade apple cider vinegar/lemon dressing.”
