Mary Theisen Lappen

Mary Anne Theisen-Lappen was born on November 3rd and she’s a distinguished American weightlifter who’s achieved remarkable success in this sport. She competes in the women’s +87 kg category and has won multiple gold medals at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her journey into weightlifting started in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She got into it through the USA Weightlifting’s transitional athlete program, which finds athletes from other sports who show promise in weightlifting. She started lifting at 15. 

Her career is packed with impressive wins. In 2021, she won a gold medal in the women’s +87 kg event at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships in Ecuador. She repeated this success in 2023 in Argentina, where she lifted a total of 272 kg. 

A standout moment in her career came in 2023 at the World Weightlifting Championships in Saudi Arabia. She got a silver medal in the women’s +87 kg category with a total lift of 277 kg and cemented her place among the world’s best lifters. 

In October of 2024, she competed at the Pan American Games in Chile and won gold in the women’s +81 kg event. She made 6 successful lifts, and her best ones were 120 kg in the snatch and 157 kg in the clean and jerk, which came up to 277 kg. Her winning streak continued at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix II in Doha, Qatar, where she won a gold medal with a total of 283 kg. 

Her training routine is very intense and well-structured. She trains twice a day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Tuesdays, and once on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with each session lasting between two to three hours. Her training focuses on building strength and honing her technique, which is supported by her coach and a dedicated team at her gym.

Even though her training schedule is beyond demanding, she stays motivated because of the strong support system she has, which includes her coach, teammates, and gym owner. 

She’s faced her fair share of challenges; in July 2022, she suffered a severe injury that kept her from lifting for 3 months. During her recovery, she focused on physical therapy, chiropractic care, massage, sports psychology, and nutrition. Luckily, she has managed to bounce back from this injury even stronger than before.

Contrary to popular belief, she doesn’t just eat anything and everything. Her diet is extremely structured and contains a lot of protein, carbohydrates like rice, and vegetables to keep her energy levels high.