Olympic Weightlifting
In addition to my academic pursuits, I am also a competitive Olympic Weightlifter and USA Weightlifting (USAW) Level II coach, serving as the coach and president of the UCLA Weightlifting Club since 2022. I compete in the 110kg+ weight class, and am coached by Jasha Faye. In June 2026, I placed 5th at the USA Weightlifting National Championships.
Competition Results
| Year | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | USA Weightlifting National Championships | 5th |
| 2025 | UMWF World Championships | Silver |
| 2023 | North American Series II | Silver |
| 2022 | North American Series II | Bronze |
Coaching at UCLA
Every academic quarter since Fall 2022, including summer sessions, I have taught “Intro to Olympic Weightlifting” at UCLA, coaching over 200 athletes, students, and university affiliates through the course. I have also coached the Bruin Health Improvement Program and Bruin Strong, given seminars to groups across campus including the athletic trainers, and co-taught the Sports Conditioning course for students in the Summer Discovery program.
Because the sport is so technical, I also coach a number of high-level athletes from other sports looking to improve their movement, force production, and triple extension. Since I established UCLA Olympic Weightlifting in 2022, UCLA has sent over 50 athletes to national-level competitions.
Find us on Instagram at @ucla_weightlifting and @clean_and_jake, register through UCLA Recreation, or send inquiries to uclaweightliftingclub@gmail.com.
Thanks
I thank Jasha Faye, Max Aita, Daniel Camargo, Oleksiy Torokhtiy, Jabo Nguyen, Joe Beck, and many others who have coached me in person, in competition, at seminars, during USAW certification, and online. I also owe a deep gratitude to my wife, who has supported me through the time-consuming process of training and traveling to compete.
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