Hannah Kaminski is a weightlifter from Calgary, Canada who competes in the 49 kg division at international competitions. She recently participated in the Commonwealth Games in 2022, where she won bronze, losing ultimately to Mirabai Chanu, who won gold and also set new Commonwealth Games record and Mauritian Roilya Ranaivosoa, who won a silver.

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Kaminski was raised in Calgary and did gymnastics. When she was 12 she stopped gymnastics and started wrestling. She excelled in grappling throughout her time at Bishop Grandin High School, junior high, and the University of Calgary’s varsity programme. Kaminski said, “The trajectory was the 2016 Olympics,” on her wrestling aspirations. But she sustained a gradually worsening injury to her right rotator cuff. The Canadian stated of her injuries, “It became this perpetual thing. I would sneeze and my shoulder would dislocate,” in an interview to Calgary Booster Club.

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Although a surgery repaired the damage, her wrestling career was ended. She reasoned that it would be pointless to continue attending school if she couldn’t wrestle. She had no choice but to drop out. However, Kaminski leaped at the chance to travel to Melbourne when her Australian family friends needed someone to house sit while they were away in Europe. And it was there that she was introduced to a new sport in 2016 while working at a gym. At first she didn’t like the sport, but slowly gained interest.

Going into the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, the 27-year-old was the highest ranked Canadian weightlifter in the 49 kg event. She won bronze, losing out to Mauritius’  Roilya Ranaivosoa by just a kilogram. She lifted a total of 171 kgs (74 kgs snatch and 97 kgs Clean & Jerk), whereas Ranaivosoa lifted a total of 172 kgs (76 kgs snatch and 96 kgs Clean & Jerk).

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However, they were far behind India’s Olympic silver medalist Mirabai Chanu, who with her lift of 201 kgs (88 kgs snatch and 113 kgs Clean & Jerk) also set a new Commonwealth Games record. Not only is Kaminski a nursing student, but also a certified nutrition coach, Crossfit coach, and weightlifting coach.