Jo Calvino on…her experiences at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games

 November 19, 2014

Our new trustee, British weightlifting legend Jo Calvino, talks to us about her life, career, the state of weightlifting in and what’s next for her. In this third of a series of five articles, Jo talks to us about her experiences at four Commonwealth Games and missing out the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Commonwealth Games – 2002 Before my first Commonwealth Games, Manchester 2002, all the athletes had received media training but it didn’t prepare us for the emotion of the Opening Ceremony. In hindsight I shouldn’t have gone; it drained me. I was saying to everyone that I was going for a medal rather than just getting the kit.

My warm-up was brilliant but I got out on the platform and missed my opening lift – I’ve always been a consistent lifter and had never missed my first one. I said to myself it was just nerves as the place had erupted when I went out. The coach, Dave Sawyer, didn’t know what to say to me because he didn’t know me well enough as a lifter.

I thought going to a Senior World Championships would prepare me for the Commonwealth Games and I would be fine, but looking back I wasn’t prepared at all. Keith wasn’t part of the England squad despite coaching 7 out of the 15 lifters. There was a lot of politics around it, some of the hierarchy back then wasn’t fantastic and I was strong enough to speak up which could have affected my position in the sport for selections.

I was prepared for the competition but on an international level I was inexperienced. I wasn’t prepared for the interest – there were 2,500 people watching. It was a big event. I used to come out not say anything and walk off. I never showed emotion. Coaches always said I should show emotion but as a teenager I was unsure of myself and didn’t know who I was.

I then missed my second lift and that was when I was really panicking. I told Dave I had never done this before. I really needed Keith who knew me and knew what to say. I double-bombed in both disciplines.

When I look back I saw that I wasn’t there. My world ended in six minutes and I was devastated. I cried for about two days. I didn’t want to go back to the Athletes’ Village.

Back then in weightlifting you could snatch and clean and jerk. I remember walking off of the platform balling my eyes out and walking through the warm-up area with a BBC camera following me and then into the auditorium to find Keith. He was the only person I wanted to see and when I did I burst into tears and said I am really sorry. He was upset too.

My Mum told me that they would be other competitions and I lost it with her. I remember sitting in a bar outside of the Athletes’ Village and didn’t want to go back in, but everyone was lovely and professional. The English hurdler Natasha Danvers had fallen at the last hurdle in bronze medal position in the 400m final and we were good friends, so we got over it. I learnt so much more and grew massively after the disappointment of not lifting in Manchester.

I’ve got pictures from Manchester and I’ve got one which sums up the whole thing; I’ve missed the lift and got my head in my hands. Someone asked me why it is my favourite picture and I said because that was the turning point. It defined and shaped me.

I had to fight to ask to go to the Senior World Championships five months later.

World Championships – 2002 I told myself I had to get over it. GB took me to the World Championships and I missed my first lift. I could see the coaches’ faces and then I missed the second. I was ‘bombing’. I took a step back, thought about it. The coach was Dave Sawyer, who knew me from Manchester. He was more understanding and thought it was déjà vu. But then I got the third one.

Commonwealth Games – 2006 For the next four years following Manchester, officials and everyone else reminded me of my failures. At Lilleshall, where GB Weightlifting were based, the competition platform even reminded me daily – it was the one they used in Manchester so all throughout every national competition I was reminded at every turn.

In between Manchester and Melbourne, the 2004 Olympic Games took place in Athens. For Olympic places we have to qualify with points as individuals towards a team and the team then get the places depending where they finish in the World Championships.

Great Britain is a significantly small country in the sport of weightlifting and we don’t have enough for a full team and funding is an issue. We might only send three people to a European Championship unlike Russia who might send seven women and therefore get more points.

Europe on strength sports is a hard pool because once Russia divided, instead of having two athletes you went against 20 from the resulting countries. It’s definitely harder. In the Olympics you don’t necessarily see all the best lifters because they need enough points as a team, but in the World Championships you do as you get everyone and anyone.

For any athlete the pinnacle is that you want to get to an Olympics but ahead of Athens 2004 I wasn’t really enjoying life as a lifter. I forgot about enjoying the sport; I took it way too seriously and focussed too much and there were a lot of politics surrounding the sport which I didn’t really enjoy.

One of my fellow athletes sat me down and asked me; ‘when was the last time you enjoyed competing?’ and the worrying thing was that it took me about 20 minutes to answer. I then decided that I would go into my next competition and that whatever happens, happens but I am going to enjoy it.

The next three competitions I had back-to-back and I got personal bests in all of them. I started to enjoy lifting again. I remember saying to Keith ‘I am really enjoying myself’. It was like I was out on a daytrip!

I was doing my diving coaching at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre and my friend got me a job as a Diving Development Officer with the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) in 2005 (Jo joined Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) in 2011) to do diving development and I found a bit more of a career – I was in a better situation financially. 2005 was a real turning point again, I was enjoying my sport again, and I had got over Manchester and was ready for Melbourne. We went there for a Commonwealth championships test event and that’s where I met my best friend, Erika Yamasaki, now Erika Ropati-Frost, who lifted in the 53kg category at 2014. I was her Maid of Honour last year.

In Melbourne I was ready to move on, people were saying about what happened in Manchester but it’s the first time I felt like I belonged. I was an athlete. That was the real turning point for me. I remember going out and getting my first lift and having a big sigh of relief and I knew from that point I wouldn’t be getting all the grief that went with it.

I was in the mix but came fourth to Erika who got the bronze. I’ve always said if I had to come fourth to anyone I am glad it was her because it was her and in her home country. We had a blast for the next 10 days and got quite significantly drunk for that time. I made a lot of good friends there who I am still friends with now. I qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing but wasn’t picked. Only one lifter was picked and she was injured – maybe it was politics again.

I started looking and gearing towards 2010 with one eye on London 2012. Melbourne was always going to be a challenge following my performance four years earlier as it was the only time I have bombed to date, but Melbourne has been my favourite Commonwealth Games so far, although Glasgow was amazing in different ways.

Commonwealth Games – Delhi 2010 On paper every lifter is brilliant, but Delhi went down to tactics. They take your best snatch, the heaviest weight and then the clean and jerk. If you’ve lifted the same weight it will go on body weight. If you have the same weight, which can happen, they will go on who lifted the weights first. If you’ve got them on your second and someone on their third you will get it.

I let the nerves get the best of me, but it was a strange environment as when you were lifting there were these moths flying about. Lots of people were saying don’t go to Delhi because of perceived organisational issues but I had trained for four years and wanted to go; all athletes are passionate about their sport and want to go to competitions.

I just said to the team before we went out – imagine the worst and expect it but as long as we’ve got beds and food we’re alright. We got out there and there were no problems at all, the apartments were amazing and better than Melbourne but every Games has their issues – Manchester didn’t have enough rooms for athletes.

I’ve said to a lot of people that even though got a load of bad media I really think it was a good Games and they did a good job with the Games.

Olympic Games – London 2012 As an athlete you know when it is your time. I had done more than enough to prove myself to make the GB squad for London 2012. The lifter they took had reached the qualifying standard like me, but at the Olympic trials she bombed and then British Weightlifting said it wasn’t an Olympic trial – even though this was engraved on my trophy. They changed the goalposts. The politics around the selection had to be justified – a lot of athletes were involved in appeals, for some people it was ageist. I ticked every box for them.

The bottom line was that the lifter they took was injured. I do not have anything against her – I would have taken the place too but I felt I should have had the selection and going into 2013 I was still annoyed.

It was really painful but it fuelled my fire to keep competing and now making the Great Britain squad doesn’t worry me as much these days.

Commonwealth Games – Glasgow 2014 I know (the former 100m World Champion, Saint Kitts and Nevis sprinter) Kim Collins quite well through different events and was sat with him before London 2012 at the Crystal Palace Athletics Grand Prix just before the Games started. I hadn’t been picked and he asked me if I was going to go for Glasgow 2014. It always helps getting perspective by speaking to people in other sports and I told him I didn’t want to do anything; I was so hurt that I felt done with it all.

He said ‘well I’m going to Glasgow and I’m older than you, if you don’t go for it you’ll kick yourself’. He told me that if he going to go then I would try too so we made a pact there and then – he gave me some wise words. He is fantastic for any sportsperson to be around because he has such a great outlook on everything.

Unfortunately, due to his ongoing situation with the Saint Kitts and Nevis Amateur Athletics Association, I didn’t see him in the Athletes’ Village at Glasgow; but back in 2012 at Crystal Palace he told me that politics will always remain but it doesn’t define who you are as an athlete – you have to play the bigger hand. He had all the scandal at the Olympics because he wanted to see his wife and kids.

Ahead of the games when we were doing interviews, getting the kit and working around the squad announcement it was exciting and took your mind off of competing because some athletes can just sit there and get anxious about it and overwhelm themselves.

When I look back at the Manchester games that was probably what happened – everything was driven by what I wanted to do and what I needed to be. Instead of just letting it happen and run its course I didn’t.

But as I am a more experienced athlete now I just went with the flow. In Manchester I don’t remember paying for anything because when we went out people were like ‘England! Wow!’

I wanted to go to Glasgow and show everyone what they had been missing. The road to Glasgow has been challenging in many ways, but I am always proud to represent England especially in my fourth Commonwealth Games. The help and support I received from the GLL Sports Foundation was essential, alongside the support I had from my team and colleagues.

The competition and atmosphere was fantastic in Glasgow and I enjoyed every second of it. Although I finished fifth in a tough field, my performance still fills me with frustration and disappointment, although I can also find positives in what I have achieved.

The result was mixed emotions really. I was good at the snatching but my clean and jerk was a little bit disappointing – that’s usually my stronger lift so that hurts a bit more. But overall it was not too bad, I think I equalled two of my British records so under the environment I can’t argue. I thought it was a really good group and everyone pushed each other and it made it a really good competition.

I was nervous but in a good way, I was ready for it and it was nice to have a lot of support, which always helps. I think my body weight was too light for the clean and jerk, I struggled with it and the nerves and adrenaline played a part, possibly. When you have had to cut weight, sometimes it hits you a little bit harder on the clean and jerk. They are some of the reasons. I don’t think tactically it was a bad game, it just didn’t come together on the day.

Overall it was our most successful weightlifting team since 2002, winning four medals, which is a great achievement with many of us only just missing out on medals.

I thought I would be in the mix for a medal and because of all the experiences I have had I am way stronger mentally now than I have been in a long time. Physically I think I am just as strong and I’ve got more to give. If I didn’t feel that then I wouldn’t have put myself through it again. Keith was there as one of the England coaches and out of the six girls, three of us are were from Crystal Palace; Mercy Brown and Emily Godley, plus Zoe who is from London too – so we are all local. Glasgow, especially from a social point of view, was like Melbourne. I competed on Day 1 so I basically had 10 days off after that. I shared with Zoe and Emily and I spent a lot of my time working with Mercy and the younger athletes; it was their first major games and it was slightly overwhelming for them. This is part of me passing over that knowledge and experience; I really enjoy working with the younger generation. It’s exciting for me as Mercy is a real excitement for the sport going forward. Some athletes can be so media hungry that they worry about what they can get out of it but Mercy is very well-rounded. She knows what she wants in terms of her sport and I think it is helping get on that journey of moving forward.

Part of my job is to tutor people to become swimming teachers and diving coaches. I’ve taken lifeguards off the side of the pool and got them into teaching. Working with people where they want to go.

From Mercy’s point of view the sport has grown so much compared to what I had – they are exposed to funding. Manchester was the first real funding we got but that was taken away straight after.

It can be a dark place if you don’t know what you are doing, where you are going or who you are. I do enjoy coaching and it’s something that I’ve spoken about.

We don’t have many female coaches so I am keen to get involved. I’ve got a couple of kids I work with here into the sport and nurturing them – whatever the sport is I just enjoy engaging them and getting them to be the best that they can be.

I think that rubs off probably from Keith – he is exactly the same mind-set. Money doesn’t make everything work, it’s about how you can impact people and move them forward and as you get older in the sport you are more aware of giving something back and helping those around you.

As I competed on the first day I wasn’t at the Opening Ceremony, I chilled at home so wasn’t lost in that media frenzy. A couple of the junior weightlifters asked me before if they should go to the opening ceremony and I just said to them if they had the opportunity then do go, but it does drain you, but you need to experience it because then you can start to realise what you have achieved.

You don’t realise your accomplishments and what you have achieved until later on – like when I won my 19th title at the British seniors this year and I hadn’t really given it much thought. They made a really big deal about it and I got quite emotional about it and I started thinking ‘wow, this quite a big thing’. To me I am doing what I enjoy.

It’s still exciting representing your country. When you get your kit bag it’s like Christmas has come early – everyone loves a freebie! We went to St. George’s Park; it was nice because it got us all together. I still remember collecting my first-ever kit – some of it is still wrapped. I remember being ecstatic. A lot of other sports get kit from their sponsors and they take it for granted but in weightlifting none of us ever take anything for granted and we’ll take anything for free.

Mercy really is one to watch, she had a great Commonwealth Games – she finished fourth in the women’s 75kg category and would have learnt a lot going into the European Junior Championships. I think she can definitely get a medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. I am excited to see how she grows and develops off of the back of this.

A friend of mine, Chioma Matthews, who was in the Melbourne team for netball, crossed over into triple jump and finished eighth which was fantastic.

Nathan Douglas in the triple jump too was good to watch and he made the final too. He’s had his highs and lows within the sport but he made the team and it was exciting to watch him. Tom Daley, of course, I’ve had to fight to get my tickets to see my ‘Tom-Tom’ but I managed to get them and see him medal it was amazing. Also it was great to see exciting young divers like Alicia Black who won the 3m in Synchro Diving. She went to Delhi and I’ve team managed them when they were kids. They’re maturing now and there’s a lot of exciting times to come.

I love a bit of boxing and watched some of that too.

I’m staying in Glasgow until the end of the Games, as I had to party. We had a couple of juniors in our squad so I supported our team management to get them ready and make sure their nerves were a little bit down so they had a good day.

Our team is really exciting, we have got some good projects. Anything is possible because it is quite a tactical sport. There is a lot of potential, it’s just about whether it all clicks at the right place, right time.

For me as an athlete now it’s back to the drawing board to see what the next goal is.

I also took the time to work for BBC Radio 5 Live alongside the commentator Andy Stevenson which was very exciting and it was great to be able to take our sport national.

Commonwealth Games – Gold Coast 2018 I’m not ruling out the Gold Coast in 2018 because my best friend is from there. I’d love to be there in some capacity, although I’ll have to talk with people. Everyone now is saying are you going through to Rio 2016 as well? I am like ‘just wait’, but they do move quite quickly – I am in the running.