A Queen Creek Mom Started Lifting at 39. At 51 She Set a World Record Snatch.

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz., Oct. 27, 2026 — Jenny Clouse did not plan a world record. At 39, friends talked her into an Olympic weightlifting class at Mesa Community College. Three months later she was hooked.

Now 51 and a mom of four, Clouse snatched 171 pounds last month in Greece — the heaviest snatch recorded in official international competition by a woman age 50 or older, at any body weight, ABC15 Arizona reported. She trains at Performance One Advanced Training in Mesa and has collected 11 national titles and two world titles in her age and weight class.

Competition results listed for Clouse on the IWRP database show a long masters career, including a 78-kilogram snatch at the 2026 USA Masters Championships. Her coach told ABC15 she pairs natural athletic ability with a stubborn focus on technique.

Clouse says the medals matter less than the map. Weightlifting has sent her around the world and, she hopes, might nudge someone else to answer when friends suggest a class.