Further Personal Information |
| Higher education |
Coaching, Sport Management - Unitec Institute of Technology: Auckland, NZL |
General Interest |
| Hobbies |
Coaching. (functionalstrength.co.nz, 2013) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Name of coach |
Adam Storey [national] |
| When and where did you begin this sport? |
He began weightlifting at age 15 at Auckland Grammar School in New Zealand in order to increase his speed for rugby and athletics. He then began lifting for his school team. |
International Debut |
| Year |
2003 |
| Competing for |
New Zealand |
| Tournament |
Oceania Championships |
| Location |
Nukualofa, TGA |
Further Personal Information |
| Occupation |
Athlete, Business Owner, Coach |
General Interest |
| Other information |
LANDMARK APPEARANCE
He will become the second weightlifter from New Zealand to have competed at three Olympic Games at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. The feat was originally achieved by Don Oliver, who represented New Zealand at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Games. (olympic.org.nz, 30 Jun 2016; sports-reference.com, 2012)
BUSINESS OWNER
He owns Functional Strength CrossFit, which is a strength and conditioning facility in Auckland, New Zealand. (YouTube, 17 Jul 2016) |
| Injuries |
In 2003 he suffered a dislocated elbow and a muscle tear. (Athlete, 01 Aug 2012) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Why this sport? |
He was encouraged to take up the sport because he was strong and explosive. |
General Interest |
| Most influential person in career |
New Zealand weightlifter Nigel Avery. (Athlete, 01 Aug 2012) |
Further Personal Information |
| Languages |
English |
General Interest |
| Nicknames |
Richie, Rich, Ricardo, Dickpat (nzherald.co.nz, 12 Jun 2014; functionalstrength.co.nz, 2013) |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs |
He repeats a certain phrase ["Legs, elbows, elbows, back, hips in, upright"] when he steps on to the platform to lift. (functionalstrength.co.nz, 2013) |
| Famous relatives |
His wife Phillipa Hale has represented New Zealand in weightlifting. She won gold in the 53kg category at the 2016 Oceania Championships in Suva, Fiji. (SportsDeskOnline, 30 Jul 2016; fijitimes.com, 28 May 2016) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Courage isn't having the strength to go on. It's going on when you don't have the strength." (functionalstrength.co.nz, 2013) |
Further Personal Information |
| Family |
Wife Phillipa, son Cooper [2015] |
Rio de Janeiro
London
Beijing
Goyang
Doha
Gold Coast, QLD
Suva
Le Mont-Dore
Apia
Yaren
Auckland
Nukualofa
Glasgow
Delhi