This Is Just Another Chapter

This Is Just Another Chapter

It’s with a sad heart that we let you know that Tim will not be competing at States this year. This will be the first time he has had to miss a competition since he started his journey in Olympic weightlifting. He will still be there at States supporting his teammates and helping his coach wherever he is needed. Even though he won’t be on the platform this time, he’ll still be part of his team—and I know he’ll be cheering them on every step of the way.

Now, let me give you the backstory on his injury.

A couple of months before Nationals, Tim started having some pain in his elbow. It wasn’t anything unbearable, and his body guy was able to get it under control pretty quickly—or so we thought.

You just never know what may be lurking underneath.

His body guy could only treat the symptoms Tim was experiencing. He did dry needling and shockwave therapy on the area, and for a while, it seemed to be doing the trick.

When Tim went to Nationals in June, his elbow was feeling good. He went on to make PR lifts and win his first USA Weightlifting National Junior Championship. It was an incredible Championships week, and we were so proud of him.

Then we came home, and he went back into training.

His elbow progressively started getting worse.

After doing everything he could, his body guy advised us to have Tim seen by an orthopedic doctor. We put in for an appointment, which took some time to get, and now we are going through all the hoops trying to figure out exactly what is causing this issue.

Here’s what we know so far.

His X-rays show nothing broken and no loose particles. An MRI without contrast showed fluid on his elbow. The medications they gave him haven't helped resolve the fluid issue. Blood work also showed that he does not have an autoimmune issue causing the problem.

The next step is to aspirate the fluid from his elbow and have it tested—which happens later this morning. After that, we may need to do an MRI with contrast to get a better look at the tendons surrounding the elbow.

So, what initially seemed like a minor issue could very well be just that—a minor issue.

But it could also be that his elbow is so pointy that it's irritating his tendon or there could be a small tear in one of his tendons that is being irritated by the movement of his elbow. In the case or the first scenario, that could possibly mean surgery to round the bony part that is irritating the tendon. In the case of the second scenario, we are fairly sure that it would simply require some rest time for it to heal. With either case that would mean Tim is done competing for the remainder of this year. 

And that's hard.

Not just because he loves competing, but because weightlifting has become such a huge part of his life and he absolutely loves it. He has worked incredibly hard to get where he is, and he has some pretty big dreams for where he wants this journey to take him.

So we’re asking our family and friends to pray in agreement with us🙏.

Pray for quick healing of Tim’s elbow. Pray that the underlying cause is revealed to his orthopedic doctors so they know exactly how to treat it. Pray for wisdom for everyone involved in his care.

And pray that he comes back stronger than he was before.

It is also our prayer that, Tim heals in time to train and prepare for The Arnold in March 2027. This will be the 50th Anniversary of the event, and being able to compete there would be an incredible opportunity.

Tim's passion is weightlifting. His dream is to compete at Worlds and, someday, carry the title of Olympian.

We don't know what this detour is going to look like yet.

But we do know Who holds the road ahead.

God has brought Tim through so much in his young life. We have watched God's hand on him in ways that are impossible for us to deny. And while we don't understand why he is dealing with this injury right now, we trust that God does.

I truly believe God has a plan for Tim’s life—and that plan is bigger than a medal, a competition, a championship, or even weightlifting itself.

This injury doesn't erase everything Tim has accomplished. It doesn't take away the work he has put in. It doesn't change who he is.

It's simply an unexpected part of his journey.

And maybe, just maybe, this is another opportunity for Tim to learn that strength isn't always found on a platform.

Sometimes strength looks like sitting on the sidelines when you'd rather be lifting.

Sometimes it looks like patience when you want answers.

Sometimes it looks like trusting God when you don't understand what He's doing.

And sometimes the biggest victories have nothing to do with medals.

Scot and I know that Tim will continue to honor God and his family through this journey because he knows just how much God's hand has been on his life. He's seen God carry him through things before, and we believe God will carry him through this, too.

So for now, we're taking it one day at a time, trusting God, praying for healing, and believing that Tim's story isn't over.

This is just another chapter.

And whatever comes next, we'll be right there beside him.