Savannah Shaffer never planned on becoming a weightlifter. A sophomore at Umatilla High School, she discovered the sport during a “Night on the Track” event for incoming freshmen exploring sports and clubs. A friend already on the girls weightlifting team for two years persuaded her to try it for just two weeks.

“After those two weeks I decided to stick with it,” Savannah says. “Most of my friends and teammates encouraged me to stay and I fell in love with the sport. I am so grateful for them they mean a lot to me.”

What started as a casual introduction quickly became a passion. Savannah joined the school’s weightlifting program, where she embraced the Olympic and Traditional lifts, particularly learning the snatch alongside two teammates. The arrival of new lifters meant extra training sessions focused on technique and fundamentals.

“The people I got to train with at Umatilla changed everything,” she says. “I wanted to do more, so going into Olympic weightlifting was the perfect opportunity.”

Her favorite lift remains the clean and jerk, where the thrill comes from dropping under the bar quickly while staying focused enough to stand tall and lock out. She acknowledges ongoing work on form, such as fully locking out her elbows, but approaches every session with discipline.

Some of the best advice that Savannah follows is from Coach Reddick Williams who helps train her: “If you cheat out of a set of your workout, you won’t get stronger.” Savanah applies that daily, hating to miss practice because the difference shows the next day.

One of her most cherished aspects of the sport is the team dynamic. “Cheering on your teammates and when they cheer for you, nothing feels better,” she says . “It makes me feel like I can do anything possible with them there. For me, cheering on my teammates is like a ‘proud mom’ moment, seeing them come so far and knowing they have so much potential.”

Savannah has also taken her commitment beyond high school competition by joining an AAU weightlifting program on her coach’s recommendation. Her first independent meet was both exciting and nerve-wracking.

“During that meet I kinda felt lost without my teammates,” she recalls. “Once it came to my lifts, I told myself: do this for the team, do this for my coaches, do this for my family, and do this for you.” After the first successful lift Savannah’s confidence surged. She ended up winning the meet, an outcome she never expected and earned a medal that left her wanting more.

“Looking at the medal made me think I deserved this after all that hard work and devotion,” Shaffer says. “That I truly believe that I can go further with even more confidence.”

A key lesson that has helped Savannah came from a parent she met at the AAU tournament: “There’s always someone stronger.” Rather than comparing herself to others, she now focuses on personal growth, breaking records, and self-improvement.

Savannah maintains strong academics alongside her athletic pursuits. She carries a 3.7 cumulative GPA and a 5.0 weighted GPA while enrolled in Cambridge AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) classes at Umatilla High. These are college-level courses that offer credits and financial aid opportunities for future college applications.

Her favorite subjects are science and math. “Math has always been easy for me… it’s like giving directions but you just gotta follow them,” Savannah explains. Science stands out because her teacher makes it engaging and fair.

She’s also active in the Future Farmers of America (FFA), where her favorite project involves swine. Savannah has shown animals since first grade and plans to exhibit her pig at the Lake County Fair later this year competing against some of the top competition in the state.

“I have always loved showing animals,” she says. “The thing I love about it is watching that small cute pig growing up. It helped grow me up into the person I am by falling in love with animals and learning how to take care of them.”

Recently accepted into the National Honor Society, Savannah views it as another avenue for personal growth, bonding with friends, meeting new people, and contributing through community service.

“It’s an honor to be accepted into NHS,” she says. “It means I will be in another club growing on myself and still helping out our school… Just hoping to serve our school and community while having fun as well.”

Programs like Take Stock In Children have provided guidance on college preparation, financial planning and requirements. But perhaps the biggest lesson Savannah has learned is to avoid excessive self-pressure in both athletics and academics.

“The first couple of weeks of weightlifting are rough but you have to stick with it even if you feel like you’re not the right person for it,” she advises other teens. “You can’t put so much pressure on yourself when you’re still learning the form. Taking your time perfecting your form is so much better than rushing it.”

She also emphasizes kindness, manners and confidence: “You never know who’s truly watching,” she says.

Savannah also expresses deep gratitude to her parents for encouraging her to do her best, noting that others are watching and learning from her example. She feels proud to be an active, dedicated student at Umatilla High School, supported by friends, teachers, family and the community.