Oakland teen weightlifters heading to nationals, despite being displaced from gym

OAKLAND, Calif. - For a decade, a warehouse in Oakland served as a launching pad for some of the country’s best young Olympic weightlifters. Now, a group of teen national champions are searching for a permanent place to call home after being pushed out of their training space.

Rent increase pushes team out

The Lift Us Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Michael Jenkins, has provided free Olympic weightlifting training, nutrition education, and academic support to underserved youth in Oakland for 10 years. Earlier this month, however, the program was hit with a sudden challenge: they had to pack up and leave.

According to Jenkins, the building's owner raised the rent while neglecting the property.

"They put a lot of pressure on us, the tenants," Jenkins said. "It did not make sense for us to be there anymore. As much as I wanted to hold on to it, I had to let go."

The abrupt move caught the young athletes by surprise.

"One minute I was training in my own gym," said 17-year-old Robert Whitlock, an Oakland resident and national champion. "Then the coach sat me and the team down [and said], 'We have to move gyms. We can't be in that building anymore.'"

A temporary safe haven

In the wake of the displacement, the community stepped in to ensure the teens didn't miss a beat ahead of this summer's national championships. The Oakland Roots opened the doors to their training facility in Alameda, giving the lifters a temporary place to train.

However, that arrangement is short-lived. The Australia men's national soccer team is scheduled to arrive at the facility on Monday to train for the upcoming World Cup, requiring the youth program to relocate once again.

The team's final day at the Alameda facility will be Saturday. From there, they will move to a temporary site in Oakland's Jack London Square, where they expect to operate for the next six months.

'Oakland Strong'

Jenkins is launching a new concept at the Jack London Square location called "Oakland Strong" to help keep the program afloat while they look for a long-term solution.

"Its a place to come see the kids," Jenkins said. "If you make a donation, you can lift there as well. It’s a new concept. It’s not a gym, but a benefit for people who want to support us."

For athletes like Whitlock, who harbors dreams of qualifying for the Olympic Games, the effort Jenkins puts into maintaining stability means everything.

"It means a lot," Whitlock said. "It shows how much he supports us and cares about us."

While the immediate focus is keeping the teens on track for their summer competitions, Jenkins has his sights set on a larger vision for the youth of Oakland. His ultimate goal is to partner directly with the city to open a permanent, free training center.

"I wanted to make an impact in Oakland," Jenkins said of his decade-long mission. "The best impact I could make was in health, specifically youth health."

For more information about the program or to donate, visit their website.