Submitted photo Fairmont weightlifter Jackson Goraczkowski attempts a lift at the USA Weightlifting National Championship in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

By Jake Olson

sports@nujournal.com

FAIRMONT – What started as a hobby quickly turned into a passion for Fairmont’s Jackson Goraczkowski.

Goraczkowski, who will enter his senior year of high school this fall, has taken his adaptive weightlifting career to the national stage, becoming a beacon of inspiration to many, both locally and beyond.

On Wednesday, June 25, Goraczkowski became the first adaptive weightlifter to compete from a wheelchair at the USA Weightlifting National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

USA Weightlifting (USAW) defines adaptive weightlifters as anyone with visual or intellectual impairments, a physical disability or a struggle with hearing.

Athletes attempting to compete at the national event were asked to lift at least 50% of what an ablebodied athlete could perform in their specific weight class. This lift had to be completed at a USAW-sanctioned event at least one year before the national championships took place.

For Goraczkowski’s weight class of 94 kg (207.235 lbs), he had to lift that same amount between his clean-and-jerk and snatch performances.

He achieved this mark during the Minnesota State High School Weightlifting Championships, tallying a total weight of 96 kg (211.644 lbs).

“I was pretty excited,” Goraczkowski said. “I didn’t know what it was all going to entail, so I was excited to see where that all went for me. I was just really happy I made it this far.”

After taking a couple of months to train further, Goraczkowski traveled to the University of Colorado with his coaches and family members to participate in the big event.

Goraczkowski finished the competition tallying a total of 95 kg (209.439 lbs) in his two lifts, setting a personal best in snatch at 47 kg (103.617 lbs).

The journey to nationals didn’t come without drive and motivation. Goraczkowski’s dive into this sport came from a multitude of factors, starting with his current coaches, Josie and Andy Sodersten.

The Soderstens started weight training in 2010 while living in Arizona. After joining a CrossFit organization, the two took on the sport competitively, participating in numerous events at the state and national levels.

In 2015, however, their lifestyles changed dramatically.

Moving to Fairmont, the two decided to participate in the coaching side of the sport. The Soderstens used their respective backgrounds in education to teach CrossFit locally.

“We are both teachers, so it kind of naturally spoke to us,” Josie Sodersten said. “On the instructional side of things, being able to communicate to individuals was kind of a natural evolution of our teaching careers.”

In addition to CrossFit, the Soderstens began teaching weightlifting through their “Barbell Club.”

Over the next few years, hundreds of people in Fairmont were drawn to these new physical activity opportunities, including Goraczkowski.

Around 2021, one of Goraczkowski’s friends mentioned their involvement in the local CrossFit organization. Hearing about the camaraderie that this sport brought to his friend, Goraczkowski became instantly invested.

“He told me how it was such a great space to go and lift with amazing people and just hang out,” Goraczkowski said. “I got interested, so I came.”

Seeing the progression of their programs, the Soderstens were inspired to bring the sport to the middle and high school level. Josie Sodersten said that the popularity of the sport is big in the state of Minnesota, but mainly in the metro areas.

The Fairmont Cardinals Olympic Weightlifting team was established in 2023. For grades seven through 12, the Soderstens had hopes of spreading the sport in the southern urban areas of the state.

The decision to join the school organization was a no-brainer for Goraczkowski, considering his previous experience. He joined his sophomore year during the team’s inaugural season, becoming the first lifter in Minnesota to compete at the adaptive level.

“It’s crazy,” Goraczkowski said on being the first adaptive weightlifter in Minnesota. “You would think that Minnesota is such a big place with so many people, you would think that there would be at least one other person who has at least attempted it.”

Goraczkowski has improved drastically after seeing two seasons with the Cardinals. In his respective lifts of snatch and clean-and-jerk, Goraczkowski has shattered his records since he first started.

“I love being able to see the progression,” Goraczkowski said. “I can lift heavier, and I am getting bigger. It has just been an amazing process. When I started, I couldn’t get 75 (pounds) up overhead. Now I am getting 135 and 155.”

Although Goraczkowski remains the only adaptive athlete to compete, he thinks the sport can still grow. He aims to be an example for other physically impaired individuals who are on the fence about taking this journey in life.

“It’s been great,” Goraczkowski said. “Just being able to see my impact on other people’s lives and prove that if I can do it, then you can do it.”