TRURO, N.S. — Jordan Wentzell knows a thing or two about achieving goals and performing at a high level during the toughest time of the year.
Wentzell played three seasons for the Truro Bearcats of the Maritime Junior Hockey League and was a key contributor during the team’s 2013-14 Kent Cup (now Canadian Tire Cup) championship season and during the Bearcats’ trip to the league final the following year.
Now, Wentzell is bringing that winning pedigree to his new chosen sport – Olympic weightlifting. At the recent Nova Scotia championships in Halifax, Wentzell’s lifts in the 89kg category earned him a spot at the Canadian senior nationals in Kelowna, B.C., May 15 to 17.
Wentzell got involved in weightlifting more than three years ago after he finished playing competitive hockey.
“I had the same trainer for hockey since I was in (major) midget, and during the summers, we would incorporate a lot of strength movements, which included Olympic lifts,” he said. “Once I finished playing competitively, I was still training during the summer hoping to find a spot to play, but I didn’t have any luck.
“I had one of those, ‘what now’ moments because I had a competitive void to fill. Luckily, my hockey trainer (Isaac Smith) was also a competitive weightlifter and coach, who is now part of
Team Canada Weightlifting as a coach. He brought me into his weightlifting group and one thing led to another, and I’m still at it three years later.”
Wentzell said weightlifting is similar to hockey in that both sports require athletes to react quickly and be explosive and powerful in short bursts.
“I would compare it to your first three strides you take in hockey,” he said. “You’re always working on being more explosive and powerful while practicing technique. The more repetition of the movement and more practice, the better you will get in anything.
“On the mental side of it, hockey has definitely helped in regard to preparation and being able to visualize. The big difference between weightlifting is that it’s just you and some heavy weight that you have to put over your head. You don’t have any teammates putting that weight over your head; so, I would say weightlifting has helped regarding developing more mental toughness.
“It has also taught me that showing up isn’t enough; you must commit and put the work in and then you will see the results. That’s something that translates to all aspects of life and one of the many things I learned from (Bearcats coach) Shawn Evans during my playing days in Truro.”
"In weightlifting, if you miss a lift, it’s on you. You have to deal with it and pull yourself together to lift that weight again on a short timer under the scrutiny of referees judging your attempts.”
-Isaac Smith
Wentzell’s weightlifting coach describes him as a “fighter.”
“When it comes to training, he is almost as much of a fighter as he is stubborn,” Smith said. “I would equate his success due to his stubbornness to lift heavier weights.”
Smith added Wentzell is just a really strong guy.
“Physically, Jordan is one of the strongest people I have ever met,” he said. “He is phenomenally strong.”
The Team Canada and Bedford-based Osprey Athletics coach, who has worked with other athletes making sport transitions in the past, talked about moving from a team to an individual sport.
“The difference with weightlifting versus team sports is that in team sports, you can play well and your team can lose, or play poorly and still win by a large margin,” Smith said.
“Weightlifting is unforgiving. If one thing is off, it can affect how you lift and how strong you do or don’t feel. In weightlifting, if you miss a lift, it’s on you. You have to deal with it and pull yourself together to lift that weight again on a short timer under the scrutiny of referees judging your attempts.”
Wentzell, who has stayed involved in hockey at the coaching level – currently with the Bedford Major Bantam Barons – said his goal at weightlifting nationals is to improve his lifts.
“Over these next five months, the goal is to get work on technique and get stronger in hopes that I can put up a new personal best come May.”
And beyond May?
“My main goal over the past couple years was to qualify for nationals and I never really thought too far ahead of that,” Wentzell said. “One of my training partners and friends, Quinn Everett, has recently started competing internationally; at the Pan Am Games in Guatemala and will also be heading to Rome in January for another competition. I would say my next goal would be able to join him and Isaac competing internationally and see some cool places along the way.”
