What a difference a year, or, in this case, eight months can make.
Madyson Bonney used to despise working out. Normally, that wouldn’t be a major issue, but with parents like Dan and Shawne Bonney, there’s only one way in which that hate is taken.
“She was lazy.” Dan teased.
The co-owners of Main Line Fitness and Training LLC., located on the outskirts of Holiday City, both of Madyson’s parents are certified professionals in the fields of nutrition, running, strength, youth fitness, and weight training between the two of them. As such, maintaining good health is important to them. Therefore, Dan gave his fourteen year old daughter a choice; either play volleyball for the North Central Eighth Grade team or start training in the gym. She chose the latter, and hasn’t looked back since.
While she tried several forms of exercise, it was weightlifting that caught Madyson’s attention.
“I didn’t like the cardio workouts.” She admitted. “I was more into the bar bell stuff.”
Since her training began eight months ago, Madyson has not only embraced weight training, but she’s taken to its more competitive aspects as well. And she’s had some success, to say the least. In five meets, the junior high girl has never finished lower than second place in the youth division. She even qualified to enter the National meet, though the family decided not to compete in it this year.
“I think she needs more events under her belt.” Explained Dan.
Although, they did attend the Regional meet in Saint Louis, although, in the grand scheme of things, that may not have been that different from Nationals.
“There were people there from California.” Dan said. “I was like, ‘Man, what region are we in?’”
Despite the broad field, Madyson excelled against the competition. Lifting 45 kilograms, or 99 pounds for those who haven’t switched over to metric, in the snatch, and 60 kilograms, which amounts to roughly 132 pounds, in the clean and jerk, totaling for a 105 kilograms, or 231 pound, performance. She competes in the 69 kilogram, or 152 pound, weight class of the youth division.
Of course, Madyson couldn’t have achieved such a great showing at such a young age without help. While Dan and Shawne both have backgrounds in weightlifting, Dan felt his daughter might be more likely to listen to someone from outside of the family. So he reached out to Matt Adamcheck, an old friend of his residing in the Detroit area to coach her.
Adamcheck, a certified Olympic Lifting coach, shows his charge no mercy, even though he’s not present for her workouts due to the distance separating him from Bonney. Sending her weekly workouts, he pushes the teen with a lifting regimen she may not always enjoy, particularly when it calls for heavy lifts, which Madyson typically care for, almost exclusively.
Still, the young girl is willing to do what it takes to improve.
“I don’t like it,” Madyson said after nearing completion of a weekly regimen calling for all heavy lifts, “but it makes me stronger.”
Wishing to study her technique, Adamcheck will even have certain lifts marked for Madyson to record and send back to him.
Madyson has good reason for following every letter of the law laid down by Adamcheck. With very particular goals in her mind, she hopes to hit 55 kilograms, which totals just a bit over 121 pounds, in the snatch, and 70 kilograms, or 154 pounds, in the clean and jerk. Yet, once she hits those numbers, there’s little doubt that they’ll just be increased. Complacency just isn’t in Madyson’s nature.
“Her drive is wonderful.” Admired Dan.
And regardless of what her goals may be at a given point, Madyson is going to hit them eventually. She won’t accept failing.
“I hate failure.” She stated. “I get really mad when I fail.”
Her father concurred with that self-assessment.
“If she fails, she gets mad and keeps trying all night.”
One thing experience is beginning to teach her, however, is to take things a bit slower at times. While lifting the big weights may be the end, the means may just have to start out a bit smaller.
“When I first started, I didn’t like lifting the little weights.” Confessed Madyson.
With these lessons starting to work their way into her head, it’ll be interesting to see how much farther Madyson has come when she reaches the one year mark of her weight training.
T.J. Hug can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com.