15 Athletes Achieve the USA Weightlifting Masters Triple Crown in 2024

The Masters Triple Crown is awarded to athletes that earn gold in total at the Masters National Championships, VIRUS Weightlifting Finals (formerly NAOF), and either VIRUS Weightlifting Series 1 or Series 2 (formerly NAOS).

The 2024 Masters Triple Crown winners were Karen Agena of CH Fitness & Performance, Jason Dinius of PR Weightlifting, Kim Douglas of Haworth Weightlifting, Sandy Guterres of Ohana Dome Barbell Club, Brandi Herring, an unaffiliated lifter who trains at Wild Horizons Crossfit, Amy Hovan and Ron Johnson of Eastside Barbell, Tony Lau of Foundation Barbell, Steve Nicholls (unaffiliated), Susannah Perez of Long Beach Weightlifting, Stephen Powell of Attitude Nation Barbell Club, Brian Smarsh of KC Weightlifting, and Christopher Douglas, Kelly Garber, and Samantha Love of Paramount Barbell Club. 

Each of the winners had different levels of experience in the sport of weightlifting. Some weightlifters took to the sport in just the last few years, while one had his first meet in 1975. Stephen Powell, 64, began his weightlifting career at the Holyoke YMCA in Massachusetts almost 50 years ago. After several national and international meets, Stephen celebrated his 285th weightlifting competition at NAOF last year, and plans to keep lifting until he hits 300.

A theme amongst all winners was the joy to not only engage in competition at any age, but to find camaraderie with other lifters along the way.

“Weightlifting has shown me that strength comes in many forms: physical, mental, emotional, and social,” Kim Douglas said. “It has connected me to a community of individuals who inspire and support one another from the hardest training day to the best meet day and everything in between. This camaraderie has enriched my life far beyond the barbell.”

Others, such as Susannah Perez, find the great health impacts of consistently lifting the barbell as motivation in their lives.

“Weightlifting has profoundly impacted my life. At nearly 60 years old, I am stronger than ever. I feel fantastic, boast the bone density of a 20-year-old, and eagerly anticipate my training sessions almost every day,” Susannah said. “Moving forward, I hope to inspire others to join a weightlifting club and pursue a healthy lifestyle.”

Jason Dinius points out how weightlifting can give you something to work on each day. Even if you feel like you’re as strong as can be, there’s always technique that can be figured out.

“What I enjoy most about weightlifting is the challenge of mastering technique. There's always something to improve, whether it's refining my form, increasing my strength, or optimizing my training,” Jason Dinius said. “It's a lifelong pursuit of progress, and that constant learning keeps me engaged and motivated.”

As the Masters category is for athletes aged 35 and older, weightlifting is not the main job for most Masters athletes. Tony Lau accents how rewarding it can be to manage multiple facets of life and find success in a competitive sport like weightlifting.

“As a Masters athlete, I embrace the challenges in balancing training with work, family, and other life demands,” Tony Lau said.  “It’s tough, but there’s a real sense of satisfaction in setting goals, working toward them, and seeing results.”

After the inaugural Masters Triple Crown winners were highlighted last year, the first back-to-back Triple Crown winner is Kelly Garber. Training remotely out of Paramount Barbell Club with her head coach, Kayla Jones, Kelly won the W60 64 kg category at NAOS1, Masters Nationals, and NAOF. Her best lifts were 51/61/112 at Masters Nationals.

Samantha Love, also from Paramount Barbell Club, made history as she became the first adaptive Masters Triple Crown winner. Love, along with Amy Hovan, Christopher Douglas and Stephen Powell, actually won all qualifying events: Masters Nationals, NAOS1, NAOS2, and NAOF. She also added a gold medal in the Adaptive division at the National Championships in Pittsburgh for good measure. Her best total came at the Masters Nationals as she lifted 64/77/141 in the adaptive W35 64 kg category.

“I want to encourage other adaptive athletes to go for the Triple Crown next year and find their place in this sport,” Samantha Love said. “It's brought so much to my life and I would love to spread that joy.”

Each Triple crown winner will receive their commemorative belt by 2POOD in the coming weeks. The pursuit of the 2025 Masters Triple Crown begins in just a few weeks for those competing in the 2025 Virus Weightlifting Series 1 from February 27 - March 2 in Columbus, OH. The first mandatory event to qualify for the triple crown is the 2025 Masters National Championships in Atlanta, GA, which runs April 3-6, 2025.