"More Than Goals" With Jessica Lucero
If you know her, you know she needs no introduction. Jessica Lucero is a 4x USA Weightlifting National Champion, world team member, American record holder in the snatch, clean and jerk and total, and has Olympic dreams. She’s also a dog mom, a wife, a child of God, loves Drake and Beyonce, and I’m so grateful to call her my friend and teammate.
I had the opportunity to interview Jess for the Strong Womxn Project, and she helped remind me that I am more than my goals, to believe in myself, and to stay in the present moment.
How did you get into weightlifting?
I moved to Florida in 7th grade and when we got to Florida my mom told me that I had to play a sport. I played soccer growing up and when I got to Florida, I tried out for the travel team.
I remember hating it. I didn’t get along with the girls. I couldn’t connect with them. So, I ran track in middle school for a little while. I remember a weightlifting coach came to my middle school I was kind of interested but not sure what it was.
When we got to high school, during orientation, they showed us that there was a weight room and that’s where the weightlifting team was. I remember going into the weight room and seeing this one girl lifting in there. I just thought she was so cool.
My mom was a single mom for most of my life and she was never really around because she had to work, so I was kind of doing my own thing.
When I found weightlifting, I was like, “Ok, I can dedicate my life to this.” It was an instant obsession and it grew from there.
My journey in weightlifting has been ever evolving. How it started out to me isn’t what it is now.
What does weightlifting mean to you?
When my dad died, weightlifting was the only thing that was constant. Now, I’ve been doing it for 15 years, so that’s half my life that I’ve always had snatch and clean and jerk. The coaches may have changed, the environment may have changed, but the snatch is always a snatch.
No matter what bad thing happens in my life, weightlifting is always there. I’m so grateful for that.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned through weightlifting?
I was always an insecure person. I believed that I wasn’t going to be any good, but I wanted to be good. This whole weightlifting career was this constant struggle of fighting what I believed I was and what I wanted to be.
Weightlifting has taught me to overcome that and talk to yourself better and treat yourself better and believe in your dreams.
How do you deal with fear?
People will ask me, “Do you ever even get nervous?” When I’m onstage and going to grab the bar, I’m shaking uncontrollably, my heart is pumping through my chest and I’m so sure everyone in the room can hear it, I’m so nervous, always! Knowing fear is going to be there, I don’t freak out if I feel nervous. It’s just how I feel.
How do you deal with issues of worthiness, or attaching your identity to your goals?
It’s easy to say, I’ve accomplished this much so I’m this. And I haven’t accomplished this so I’m not this.
It’s really easy to slip into that. What I’ve learned in the last year is that when I get to that point I have to redirect my energy into chasing my goal and not past accomplishments or future accomplishment. It’s just about the pursuit.
I have to remind myself that even though those accomplishments and those goals I have are at the forefront of my attention, I have so much more that I have to give back to the sport. It’s whether or not I go the Olympics, I have so much knowledge and experience and so many things I can do to help the community.
I'm more than just my goals.
My affirmations include: I am an Olympian. I am World Champion. I am a wife. I have a family. I am a daughter of God.
What do you love about yourself?
I like that I’m a deep thinker. I overthink things a lot so it can hurt me but it’s been a huge blessing at times. It helps me have more understanding and empathy for others.
I love that I always want to be better no matter what.
I’m always open to learning more and motivated to learn more.
If you could give advice to all young girls who don’t feel confident or need bravery, what would you give them?
Three things:
Believe in yourself even if no one else will. A lot of people didn’t believe in me and even if they did, they’d word it in a way that made me question it. Someone told me, “don’t let them take away your talent.” I remember it’s not what they believe, it’s what I believe.
Stay present in the process because not everyone’s process is the same. It’s just a matter of being patient and trusting my process and plan and focusing on today. We never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.
Focus on what you can control. All you can control is what you allow yourself to focus on.
