GET’s Kyle Salzwedel muscles his way back to Nationals

GALESVILLE, Wis. — Even some of his teachers think he’s crazy.

“It ain’t crazy if you love it,” GET junior Kyle Salzwedel said.

“It’s nerve-wracking because you think that they’re going to get hurt,” said Keri Salzwedel, Kyle’s Mom.

Kyle began lifting in 8th grade. He’s fallen in love with the sport, and what it requires, ever since.

“Dedication, heart, the willingness to do anything to be at the top level,” he said.

Last year, Kyle went to Nationals at Wisconsin Dells. Ranked in the top three in the country, he won at the JV level.

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“It was kind of just a perfect feeling at the time. It was like you were on top of a mountain.”

This year, he received the ultimate honor. Kyle was one of 18 kids from the United States invited to a world lifting competition in Lithuania. He’s decided not to go, however, because it’s too expensive.

“Some people told me to go and others told me that I shouldn’t go,” he said. “I just had to go with what my heart said. That was to not go.”

“Plus, he wants a car,” added his mom.

But Kyle is going back to Nationals this year. This time, he’ll try to win at the varsity level.

“That’d be an outstanding task. I know in power-lifting, anything’s possible.”

Nationals are in April in Aurora Colorado.