Introducing the first in a special series of articles that I am calling “Athena Profiles.” These are profiles of female athletes who are setting an example of what it is to be smart, sexy and strong. The women featured will come from all different sports, amateur and professional, and be of all different ages and backgrounds. What ties them together is their ability to inspire others, just by being who they are. Each one will be asked the same questions and we will get a little inkling into what makes them so amazing and successful.
First up — Sage Burgener. Sage has a passion for Olympic-style weightlifting that began in her garage at the age of four and led her to earn the title of Junior National Champion in her teens. After twelve years of competing in the sport, Sage is taking some time off and is spending it doing CrossFit, spreading good Olympic lifting techniques to CrossFitters all over the world. And she does it all while remaining sassy!
Do you think it’s hard for people to see women as both physically strong and beautiful? Why?
Definitely! For most, being strong means being manly and no woman wants to be deemed as something far from feminine. Unfortunately, there are many who believe that males are supposed to be the strong figures in a relationship, and females are supposed to be the dainty ones. If that was the case, I’d be single for the rest of my life!
However, although that stereotype has been around forever, I think times are changing. As the world of fitness slowly starts to get more and more popular, I see males and females starting to recognize and appreciate that physical strength can play a huge part in emotional strength… and there’s nothing more attractive than confidence. With time, I believe that beautifully strong women will get the admiration they deserve.
What about being seen as beautiful and smart? Do you think women sometimes think they can’t be both?
Fortunately, I think the age of “ditzy=cute” is over. I believe that a lot of women pride themselves on their social skills. Being able to connect with a person is an art and makes women likable. I’m happy to state that most females know that intelligence is a huge factor when it comes to beauty.
Have you ever felt judged for being too pretty or too athletic, by either men or women?
Throughout my life, the only times I ever felt judged for being an athlete was when people associated lifting weights and playing sports with beating people up. It never made sense to me, but for whatever reason I would get the occasional “Don’t make Sage angry. She lifts weights and she will MESS YOU UP”. Lifting weights does increase your testosterone, but it does not increase your desire to punch someone in the face.
How do you deal with keeping up your feminine side while being an athlete?
Part of being feminine is being extremely in touch with your emotions. I find myself to be a master in the emotional department. Give me a sappy birthday card or a cute baby commercial and I won’t hesitate to cry. Also, I love obnoxiously bright nail polish and occasionally wearing too much make-up to make up for all the times I go without it.
What is your favorite part of being a woman?
One of my most favorite things about being a woman is being able to use my period as an excuse to be over-the-top moody and eat as much dark chocolate as I want.
What is the hardest part about being a woman?
The hardest part about being a woman is the inability to lose fat in 5 minutes like 95% of the male population. Also, shaving my legs is extremely inconvenient at times.
In all seriousness, I think the hardest part about being a woman is the fact that we are all extremely hard on ourselves. When we look around at other women, we see so much beauty. But when it comes to looking at ourselves, we are quick to point out every little thing we’d like to change. If we all made an effort to look in the mirror each day and say three things we love about our flawed selves, being a woman would be so much easier.
Do you have any guilty girlie pleasures?
Two things: ice cream and Target.
Did you ever wish you weren’t a woman?
No way! Being a woman is a beautiful thing and should be embraced in every way.
Has being female ever held you back in any way? (career, sports, etc)
Although I believe it to be on a subconscious level, I do think that men have a hard time listening to a young female coach them in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. While I try to be as understanding as possible when it comes to males’ egos, their uncertainties about my knowledge have limited me when trying to connect with them as athletes.
How has being female been an advantage? (career, sports, etc)
When it comes to coaching females in olympic weightlifting, being a female is a huge advantage. Women can read each other. We know when bad training days are brought on by something more than physical problems or fatigue. That ability to connect with women on an emotional basis has made me a better coach.
If you could go back and give your 12 year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
If I could go back to my 12 year old self, I would tell her to love herself unconditionally, as she does other people. It took me a long time to love myself, and although my struggles made me a better friend and person, I could have avoided a lot of emotional damage. I would also tell her that being kind to yourself and putting yourself before others is not necessarily being selfish if it means, as a result, you are happier. If you are happy, you create so many opportunities to be a better person.
