Fallen Angels

I am a weightlifter. I'm proud to say that. Maybe I wouldn't be considered a weightlifter in Russia or Bulgaria because of how relatively weak I am, but I perform snatches and clean and jerks regularly and I enjoy it. All over the world you have weightlifters training on platforms, doing the olympic-style movements. Here in River Falls, WI there is a history of weightlifting. Alley Henry grew up here, she recently metaled at the Pan-American Championship and has competed at University Worlds, she competes internationally. Alley's sister, Kate, has recently qualified and lifted at the American Open. Here in River Falls there used to be a weightlifting coach by the name of Gregg Hadley. He had a platform at the local fitness center and coached weightlifting there. It was him who helped me out when I first arrived here in River Falls. On the platform were different colored stars, one color star represented an international competitor and another color represented a national competitor. There was already a colored star on the platform representing Alley Henry. Soon after arriving he put a colored star representing me as a national competitor. It wasn't much, but it was priceless, and I respected what it meant. After awhile Gregg ended up getting his dream job as a professor in Kansas. Gregg had been teaching at UW-River Falls here in town and gladly took this new position in Kansas. It was sad when he left and it's never been the same since. Luckily some of us that were instructed under Gregg still remained. Ryan Brill, a USAW certified coach and his wife Samantha, as well as me and some others we're here in town and weren't leaving anytime soon. At this same time that Gregg was on his way to Kansas, the fitness center here in town started to change hands. When Gregg left, the platform went with him. Luckily Ryan built two miniture platforms to carry on the legacy of Gregg Hadley and to carry on the weightlifting tradition. Ryan put these platforms in the fitness center, but the new ownership rejected them, they were not appreciated. The platforms were taken outside by management and reside there to this day, warped and deteriorated from the outside conditions. Every now and then I'm forced to look outside at these fallen angels and it's depressing. Ryan and Samantha don't come to the gym anymore, Kate Henry started commuting to Saint Paul in search of platforms and weightlifters. Yes, much has changed for me as a weightlifter in River Falls. The fitness center goes by a different name now and is filled with a lot more people, mostly CrossFit types and bench pressers. It's not a place for a platform with special colored stars on it anymore.