I was the Olympic Team Weightlifting Coach for the United States in 1980, 1988, and 1992 and president of USA Weightlifting from 1988 until 1996 as well as a member of the International Weightlifting Federation’s Executive Board from 1992 until 1996.   I have trained many Olympian’s and professional athletes since 1968.   Therefore, besides teaching Sandy how to do the Olympic Lifts, the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk, I also taught him the training methods that are involved.   These training methods and lifting techniques carry over and benefit all athletes in any and every sport that requires strength, power, speed, balance, flexibility, coordination, concentration, and determination.

On October 30, 1999, Sandy showed me one of the greatest individual efforts in sport that I have ever seen.   On that day and night he set the World Record for Inline Skating for distance in 24 hours, going 509.7 kilometers (315.58 miles).   

This was a very inspirational and determined effort, Sandy kept going and going and going, after other challengers had dropped out and all the spectators had gone home to sleep.   I too had left and returned for the final hours and was absolutely elated to first hear and then see Sandy skating on and on until he broke the record.   It was an awesome athletic feat of endurance, strength, power, skill, and determination.

I just wanted to briefly let you know about Sandy Snakenberg.   He is a person, athlete, and coach of the highest level.

Sincerely,

Jim Schmitz

Motto: I will not rest while gravity threatens my people.

Manee