Audra Dunning was one of the first weightlifters I met at Catalyst. She was welcoming and nice from day one. Don’t take this to mean that she’s all puppy dog tails and cotton candy; she is far from it. It can be awkward when you’re the latest to join a group of people who already know one another well. But Audra made this transition easy for me. Luckily she and I are similar in the ways that matter. Regardless of how much I was lifting or how crappy my lifts looked, Audra was encouraging and positive. She is my platform BFF and there isn’t another person I want to train with.

The qualities I look for in a friend are pretty much the same as the ones I’d look for in a training partner. Someone who has integrity, courage, someone willing to work hard, stay positive, lead by example, has a sense of humor, and huge biceps. I’m not sure there is anyone else at catalyst who works harder than Audra. Every day she shows up with her game face on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her unwilling to put more weight on that bar, and most of the time Greg has to hold her back. Her level of commitment is something to be admired.

It’s certainly not necessary to have a training partner, but I think it helps. It keeps you honest. Audra pushes me, and I push her. And you can’t go around pushing people unless you’re willing to push yourself (well you can, but then you’re a huge hypocrite and no one will like you). We also support each other. If I’m having a crappy lifting day, Audra is there to keep me positive. If she’s having a crappy lifting day, I’m there to keep her positive. But it’s not out of obligation, it’s not forced. I guess it’s like any other easy relationship in life. We’re there for each other because we want to be, we’re friends, and we have goals in common.

Having a training partner is especially important when you’re injured. When I’m injured I am not a happy bunny and I easily lose perspective. I injured my hand doing a clean a few weeks ago. Since then, I haven’t been able to lift heavy. Everyday I go in and I bitch to myself about it and get all frustrated. Nearly everyday Audra reminds me of something I told her a few months back when her shoulder was bothering her and she couldn’t jerk. You just need to relax and do what you can do. Don’t be an idiot and push it. Do not do anything to exacerbate the injury, which is a constant threat because the whole point of lifting is to lift more; and that’s what we all want. When you’re injured, you’re not thinking about this, all you’re thinking about is the moment and how you can’t jerk and how bad that sucks. Audra, as my training partner and an experienced lifter, has perspective and can help me to see the big picture.

I might have 99 problems like my hand injury, or painful cramps in my calves and peroneals, my wrists, my elbow, my jerk grip, my insane clean turnover, or my weak lower back, but I can safely say that Audra is not one of these problems, and in fact she helps me deal with all of these challenges. I can’t really see the downside to having a training partner. Maybe I am blinded by the awesomeness that is Audra. The take home message is: surround yourself with positive people while training. Get some Audra in your life.