Owensboro is currently home to the country’s strongest youth weightlifter. Timothy Davis is ranked number one in his weight class, and he’s set to represent Team USA in the Youth Pan-Ams in Peru later this year.
The 16-year-old outgoing sophomore at Daviess County High School is also slated to compete in an online qualifier June 27 for the World Weightlifting Competition. The Pan-Ams are scheduled for November 11-18.
To qualify for the Pan-Am, individuals must rank near the top of the country in total pounds lifted for their age group and weight class. Davis presently ranks number one in both the 81 kg and 89 kg weight class.
Similar to Olympic weightlifting, the two lifts utilized to calculate totals are the snatch, and the clean and jerk.
Davis’s personal record for the snatch is 125 kilograms (275 pounds), while his personal best in clean and jerk is 156 kilograms (344 pounds). Personal bests aside, he’s adamant about keeping things in perspective.
“When I’m competing, I really just think about all the support I’ve gotten and how lucky I am to be where I am as a 16-year-old,” he said.
Davis’s father and sister took an interest in CrossFit a few years back which prompted them to open their own gym. He began following their lead with CrossFit before eventually developing an interest in Olympic weightlifting.
“Having the gym and working out with my family is what caught my interest,” he said. “I also really enjoy all the new friends I’ve made weightlifting from our gym or even from another state.”
Even in the midst of a pandemic, Davis isn’t slowing down. He still works out five days a week for two hours at a time, giving him a strong sense of confidence heading into his upcoming competitions.
“I feel really confident about my next meet, all of my weights are feeling light and smooth and I’m making lots of gains in my lifts,” he said.
While Davis tries to stay humble, his dad Tim is quick to highlight the dedication it’s taken to get to this point.
“He’s tried several sports, but this is his passion, and it’s what he’s good at,” Tim said. “He’s constantly making sacrifices, but that’s what it takes to reach his goal of competing in the Olympics.”
Those wanting to catch Davis in action during the qualifier for the World Weightlifting Competition can do so via a live-stream from 2-4 p.m. June 27 on his Instagram account @timolifts.
