Strong! 2012

By 15 she was an American national champion. By 17 she was competing in the Olympics. A formidable figure at five feet, eight inches tall and weighing over 300 pounds, Cheryl Haworth made history in Sydney, Australia in 2000 when she became the youngest athlete to win an Olympic weightlifting medal. Strong!, directed by Julie Wyman, follows Haworth as she struggles to defend her champion status even as her career inches toward its inevitable end. From the highs of her spectacular rise to the lows of battling injuries, Strong! explores the challenges this unusual elite athlete faces: coming to terms with a body that is celebrated within her sport but shunned by mainstream culture. In presenting Haworth’s story, Strong! follows the path of a gender pioneer in an unconventional sport, and makes us question stereotypical notions of health, size, and fitness.