Lifting for the gold: Teenager’s goal is joining Team USA

17-year-old Caden Cahoy hopes to compete in next Olympics

Caden Cahoy is a five-time national champion weightlifter with state and world records. And he's only 17 years old. (WJXT)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Olympics competition continues in Toyko, we’re showcasing some of the lesser-known sports you’ll see on the international stage. That includes Olympic weightlifting.

At 17 years old, Caden Cahoy is already a weightlifting powerhouse. The Mandarin High School student is a state and world record holder. Not to mention, a five-time national champion.

“I do like it, and I’m very competitive,” Camden said. “So, I have to be the best. Or try to be the best.”

Caden got into the sport when he was 8 years old after his family moved to this area from California. His father, Chad Cahoy, started training at a cross-fit gym and Caden started tagging along and working with the gymnastics equipment.

“The weightlifting coach saw that I was pretty athletic, so he wanted me to join the weightlifting team,” Caden said.

Caden started competing when he was 9 and has been winning ever since. Since he was 13, Caden has competed as a Florida Weightlifting Elite team member and made his first USA weightlifting international team, where he’s been for the last four years.

Needless to say, this year’s Olympics in Tokyo are on his radar. In fact, he and his dad know several of the competitors. That includes Mattie Rodgers, a Florida native and weightlifter on Team USA.

Mattie Rogers, a Florida native who is competing with Team USA in Toyko, posed with Caden at a competition several years ago. (Photo provided to WJXT)

“I’m excited to see our USA athletes lifting at the Olympics, it’s the most we’ve ever had,” Caden said. “So, I’m just excited to watch them, knowing they’re my teammates, also.”

Chad Cahoy owns Jacksonville Strength and Athletics where athletes can not only get in shape, they get real Olympics weightlifting training.

“Pound for pound, Olympic weightlifters are some of the strongest and most powerful athletes on the planet,” he said.

The two main movements in Olympic weightlifting are the “snatch” and the “clean and jerk.” There’s also the total, which is a sum of the two.

“You can place first, second or third or you can place in the snatch, and then you can place in the clean and jerk,” Cahoy said. “And then you can place in the total. So essentially, you could be potentially walking out with three separate medals.”

The snatch is a ground-to-overhead movement. With a clean and jerk, the movement begins with lifting the weight from the ground-to-shoulders and from there, the shoulders-to-overhead.

Caden makes it look easy. Caden’s personal best for the snatch movement is 121 kilograms -- or 262 pounds. For the clean and jerk, his best is 160 kg. That’s 352 pounds.

Cahoy says at his gym, everyone is encouraged to be a standout but he says the ladies take it to the next level.

“I have more female athletes in my gym doing Olympic weightlifting than I have males,” Cahoy said. “They come in here, they work hard every single day and I love watching them walk out just being on top of the world. Because they just did something or lifted a weight they never thought they could do before.”

As for Caden, he’s just getting started. He’s looking forward to more competitions overseas this year, but he has his sights set on one day competing in the Olympics.

“Yup, next four years,” Caden said. “That’s my goal.”

Chad Cahoy says the ability to travel and compete are largely self-financed. To learn more about Caden’s accomplishments and to help him in his journey to the Olympics, visit his GoFundMe page.

Caden Cahoy, 17, is passionate about Olympic weightlifting. (WJXT)

About the Author:

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.