Blame that one on Coach!

Your Coach ... They are always there for you. Coach plans your training, gets you to the competition, and calms you down when you are nervous. They tell you to slow down, sit down, and get you out to the platform on time. But every now and then, Coach can be a bonehead. 

At the Ontario Masters, Dawn had the luck of lifting first for both lifts. After we completed the the snatch, there was a 5 minute break as they set up for the clean and jerk and during this time, they set the clock to count down until the start of the next lift. 

The venue wasn't exactly a great set up and we couldn't hear the announcer or see the clock from the warm up area. The next thing I know, I hear a muffled "Dawn Larson" coming from the announcer. Suddenly, coach looks at Dawn and says: "They are calling, you better get out there!"

Dawn has a slight moment of panic to which coach tells her to suck it up and get out there and lift. So, Dawn pauses, gathers herself and runs out onto the platform (running is a warm up, right??). She looks at the clock and it is counting with less than 20 seconds to go. With very little time remaining, Dawn grabs the bar and rips it off the platform. In her haste, her hips come up faster than her shoulders which results in her rowing the bar. No matter, she is able to get the bar up to the front rack position anyway and completes the lift. As she looks around for the judge to give her the "OK" to put the bar down, Dawn notices that there are no judges at the tables! 

And the realization set in, Dawn had not been called to the platform. The clock had not been counting down her lift. Rather, the announcer had stated that Dawn would lift first and the clock had been counting down to the end of the break period. Everyone had a good laugh as Dawn walked off the platform from a "warm up" lift. She then proceeded to trash talk Coach while she waited for the C&J session to begin. 

Thanks Coach, you're normally always there for us ;)