American weightlifter Mary Theisen-Lappen competed April 10 in the International Weightlifting Federation’s World Cup in Phuket, Thailand. Theisen-Lappen, a member of St. Paul Catholic Center in Bloomington, Ind., will compete in the Olympic Games on Aug. 11.
INDIANAPOLIS — Mary Theisen-Lappen could never have planned out her own path to the Summer Olympics in Paris.
Four years ago, the women’s weightlifting competitor — now a member of the parish community of St. Paul Catholic Center in Bloomington, Indiana — was working as a high school track and field coach after having competed in various field events as an undergraduate at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, where she graduated about 10 years ago.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schools across the country, and Theisen-Lappen lost her coaching job.
That eventually led her on an amazing and unpredictable journey to an Olympic dream she had never even thought was possible, taking up women’s weightlifting in the 81-plus kilogram super heavyweight division and moving to Bloomington to train.
During the past 18 months, she competed in weightlifting meets around the world that resulted in her qualifying to represent the United States at the Olympics with two other women and two men on its weightlifting team.
“My mom has said this, and I agree with her, that I’m just in the passenger seat in this whole situation,” said Theisen-Lappen, 33. “God has a plan.”
That plan included her gaining support from the parish community at St. Paul, where many people have been praying for her as she awaited competing in the Olympics Aug. 11, the last day of the Games.
From the time she grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Theisen-Lappen has embraced her Catholic faith.
“I grew up in the Church,” she said. “My parents wouldn’t take excuses for not going to Mass. We were always at Mass.”
Theisen-Lappen’s faith has helped her deal with the pressure that can come in weightlifting. She’s trained for years for an Olympic event in which her participation will start and finish in a matter of seconds as she works to lift more than 250 pounds in the snatch event and more than 300 pounds in the clean and jerk.
As she looks forward to the weightlifting competition in Paris, Theisen-Lappen knows she can count on the support of the 25 friends and family members, including her husband, parents and siblings, who will be there to cheer her on.
But she’s also counting on the prayerful support she knows she has from the parish community at St. Paul in Bloomington.
“There’s something about the power of prayer,” Theisen-Lappen said. “Having people pray for you and knowing that they’re thinking of you (is helpful). Just knowing that I have a big community back at home at church, at the gym and in the city has definitely made things easier. I’m very excited and blessed to have that.”