Michigan Woman Makes USA Olympic Weightlifting Team [Video]

Kate Nye, from Oakland County, will be lifting this summer in Tokyo, hoping to bring home a medal.

Nye will be lifting in the 76 kilograms (167 pounds) category in Tokyo this summer. She is the 2019 World Champion in her division, and has recently switched coaches, which she said has given her a leg up on her competition.

Nye, 22, has been working out of a home gym she built during the pandemic in her house in Berkley. She attends college at Oakland University.

The Tokyo Summer Olympiad, postponed form 2020 due to the pandemic has been tentatively rescheduled to start on July 23 and run through August 8.

“I don’t think you can excel at anything without being emotionally invested in it. I’m not just emotionally invested in weightlifting, it’s my life. It’s my purpose, and everything I’m doing is to ensure I’m the best lifter I can be,” Nye told USA Weightlifting.

Nye recently opened up about her battle with mental illness on her Instagram feed. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and has been working with a therapist to be able to continue to compete.

Nye, like a lot of Americans, was introduced to Olympic style weightlifting through CrossFit, a popular fitness regimen which merges the technical Olympic lifts with gymnastics, cardio and calisthenics.

Here's a profile of Kate from last year.