USA Weightlifting Seeks Nominations for 1 Athletes' Advisory Council Position

COLORADO SPRINGS - The USAW Athletes’ Advisory Council (AAC) serves as the representative group and athlete voice to advise the USAW headquarters team, Board, and committees on a range of important issues that impact athletes. The AAC also works with the USAW headquarters team to address athlete grievances, questions, and concerns.

The committee is comprised of 10 athletes, each of whom is seated for a 4-year term. Earlier this year elections were completed to fill 9 of the available 10 positions. We are seeking nominations from athlete members who meet the criteria below to fill the remaining position. To conform with gender representation requirements, this position is open to eligible male athletes.

Eligibility Criteria for the AAC: 10-Year Elite Athlete, National Team Athlete (bylaws definition) or Top 1/2 Finishers at National Championships over the past 2 years.

This position is available to a male athlete who meets at least one of the below criteria.

10-Year Elite Athlete: An individual who has represented the United States as an athlete in the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, or Senior World Championships within the ten (10) year period prior to December 31, 2024.

National Team Athlete: An individual who meets the National Team athlete criteria outlined in section 5.1.a.iii. of USAWs bylaws. Specifically, these are athletes who within the prior ten (10) years, represented the United States in the IWF Junior World Championships, FISU World University Championship, FISU Universiade, IWF Grand Prix, IWF World Cup or any event considered and Olympic Qualifying event. *Note: this designation is not limited to members of the current National Team Program.

Top Half at the National Championships: An individual who finished in the top half of their bodyweight category at the National Championships (Senior) in either of the past two years (2023 or 2024).

Nominees must be at least 18 years of age, USA Weightlifting members in good standing and remain in good standing throughout their service if elected. This includes successfully completing a background check and Conflict of Interest Declaration.

USAW AAC Election Timeline:

June 11: Nominations open for remaining AAC position.
June 18: All nominations due by email to usaw@usaweightlifting.org by 4 p.m. MT.
June 20: Ballots distributed to eligible voting constituency group.
June 29: Voting ends at 4 p.m. MT., results announced asap.
July 1: Position seated to the USAW AAC

Nominees must submit the following materials to usaw@usaweightlifting.org:
1) Indication of interest to stand for election to the AAC, biography/nominee statement is welcomed but not required.

2) Letters of support from ten (10) athletes who meet the criteria of 10 Year Elite athlete, National Team athlete or who competed at either the 2023 or 2024 National Championships.
To be considered for nomination, individuals must submit their applications by 4:00pm MT on June 18, 2025.
All nominees must pass a background screening. If you need to obtain a background screening, please follow the steps here.

Example letter of support:
Members who wish to endorse a nominee must send an email (from their email address of record in BARS) directly to the nominee. The nominee must then include all email endorsements in their application. Here is a sample endorsement letter:

I, (member’s name), USAW # (membership number), whose USA Weightlifting membership expires (date), do endorse the candidacy of (candidate’s name) for the Athletes’ Advisory Council of USAW.

(Member’s Name)
(Today’s Date)
(Email address)

Thank you so much for your consideration and support. As always, you may reach out to usaw@usaweightlifting.org with any questions.