Everything You Need To Know About Weightlifter And Internet Sensation Mattie Rogers

At only 20, Mattie Rogers is quickly becoming one of the most notable figures in all of U.S. weightlifting. Thanks to a video that went viral a few weeks ago, Mattie has become a big name online in the lead-up to this summer’s Olympics. This past Sunday, Mattie attempted to secure her spot on the U.S. weightlifting team during a trial in Salt Lake City, but everything did not go according to plan. But while we may not see her competing in Rio this year, it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of Rogers.

Here now to get you up to speed are seven things you need to know about the American weightlifting sensation.

She’s A Viral Sensation

Mattie is already known for being one of the strongest and youngest females in her weight class, but it took for the above video for the world to begin to catch on to Mattie’s lifting prowess. In the short clip, Mattie drops a heavy barbell that rolls towards the front of a gym, smashing through the exterior glass. Yes, it was a mistake (obviously) on Mattie’s part, but the clip has since gone viral with almost 3,000 retweets. It’s also responsible for pushing 30,000 new followers to her Instagram feed, so, as the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity.

She Knows How To Silence Haters (Hint: She’s Doesn’t Listen)

Along with viral fame comes a swarm of negativity — the two go hand-in-hand these days it seems. Trolls enjoy spilling their venom on just about anything that gets publicity, and Mattie’s video is no different. But, Mattie pays no mind to the haters, and in fact, she feeds off of them. In the above Instagram post, Rogers writes, “It’s not for everyone, but for some it is everything. The confidence, mental and physical strength and experiences learned and found within this sport are incomparable. So I’ll end my too-long rant with this: Be nice in your comments on that stupid video, women are strong af contrary to what some of you believe and welcome to the world of Olympic Weightlifting…. Or my version of it anyway.”

In an interview with Bleacher Report, Mattie explained how she silences critics by not paying attention to them.

A majority of the negativity that came from that video was from people who have absolutely no knowledge of the sport; therefore, their opinion matters even less to me. Social-media followers always seem to try to counsel me about how to feel about ‘haters.’ But I don’t think they understand that I literally do not pay any attention to them nor do I care what they have to say.

She’s Broken Eight Records So Far

This February, Mattie competed in the -69 kg class at the 2016 USA Weightlifting Junior Nationals. At only 20, Rogers broke eight records: two for the snatch, three for the clean-and-jerk, and three overall records. Her performance in the Junior Nationals counted towards her tally for Olympic qualification, and with just one more great performance (more on that later) she would have solidified a placement on this year’s Olympic weightlifting squad.

Her Late Father Is One Of Her Inspirations

Tragedy befell Rogers and her family in 2001, when her father died after a battle with colon cancer at only 38. Mattie was 6 at the time of his death, but she carries his memory with her… literally.

Before he died, Drew Rogers wrote his daughter a letter of inspiration, to keep climbing the mountain of greatness and to never quit no matter how steep the climb may feel. “No matter what happens, I will be with you always,” he wrote. “If not physically, then spiritually.”

Mattie received the letter when she turned 18, and she had her father’s words inked onto the side of her torso. “I knew I would receive it when I turned 18, but I had no idea what it would say,” she told Bleacher Report. “I happened to get it at a very rough time in my life and right around when I had decided to commit fully to weightlifting. I had tossed around the idea of the Olympics in my head prior to then, but once I read that I knew I had to go for it with everything I had.”

She Started As A Gymnast And Cheerleader

Before she got into competitive weightlifting, Rogers was a gymnast and competitive cheerleader. When she turned 17, Mattie discovered Crossfit, an amalgamation of difficult bodyweight and free weight exercises. Her love of Crossfit segued into a love of lifting, and Mattie soon found herself attempting Olympic lifts after only one year of training. After her very first meet in 2014, Mattie became hooked on competitive lifting, and it has been her primary passion ever since.

“From [crossfit], I started practicing weightlifting more and more, and I found out how technical it is, and how precise you have to be, and how much work goes into making it look like the elite lifters look,” she told USA Today.

She’s Got A Badass Background

Some people were just bred to be badass — their pedigree is a mix of potent genetics and historic badassery all-around. Mattie is one of those people. Her paternal grandfather was Navy Capt. Gerald B. Rogers; he served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. That’s three major conflicts that Captain Rogers served in, and that makes him a hell of a hand during war skirmishes. Mattie is representing her country in a different manner, but there’s little doubt that her grandfather is watching with eyes gleaming in the great above.

She Came Up Just Short Of The Olympic Team

There were three spots left on the Olympic weightlifting squad, and this past Sunday, Rogers attempted to show and prove. Mattie’s coach believed that if she could lift a combined total of 539 pounds, she would have secured a spot in the Olympics in Rio. Unfortunately, Mattie did not complete her final lift of 141 kg. The failure allowed her teammate, Sarah Robles, to place over her. Mattie fell to second place and lost her chance to vie for the Olympics.

Still, Mattie was strong enough to set one record and match another in the 69 kg. class. Rogers explained on Instagram how she was “heartbroken” with her performance.

“I fought with everything I had and though it was possible, I lost this battle. Heart breaking is an understatement. Making the Olympic team is all I’ve ever wanted,” she wrote. 

With her fighting spirit, it’s only a matter of time before she realizes her potential and makes the U.S. Olympic team.