Jourdan Delacruz is a powerhouse in professional weightlifting, boasting an impressive career filled with accolades. She secured a bronze medal in the 2023 IWF Championships and has earned multiple golds and silvers at the Pan American Championships. A two-time Olympian (2020 and 2024), Delacruz continues to inspire with her dedication to the sport. In October, she took a much-deserved break to explore the great outdoors, sharing highlights of her trip to Colorado on Instagram. The post featured breathtaking moments of hiking, camping, and sliding down sand dunes alongside her partner. While weightlifting remains her passion, Delacruz embraces a well-rounded lifestyle that includes exploring new fitness activities and prioritizing her mental well-being.
1. She Hikes
As you can see from her Instagram post, Delacruz likes to hike to stay fit. Harvard Health states that hiking has a lot of health benefits. “Like brisk walking, hiking is a good way to improve your cardiovascular fitness, particularly if your route includes some hills, which will force your heart to work harder. Taking a hike on the slightly uneven surface of a trail also provides a natural way to engage the core muscles in your torso and to hone your balance skills.”
2. She Runs
Delacruz likes to run to keep herself in shape. She opened up about what got her into it in the caption of this Instagram video. “I want to be transparent about my experience in professional sports. There are some really high highs and low lows. Post Olympics depression dump is REAL. Recently, I discovered I like to run. At least for now, moving my body in different ways brings me joy. I’ve been a strength-based athlete for 10 years and the last time I ran a mile was in 7th grade! I’m proud of myself for trying new things and learning different ways to enjoy moving my body. Distance running is hard for this mostly type 2 muscle fiber twitching athlete 🥲 BUT I’m up for the challenge as long as it’s bringing me joy.”
3. She Has Support
Delacruz is lucky to have a lot of supportive people in her life. She thanked them in the caption of this Instagram post. “I’m not even sure how to fully express my gratitude to everyone who supported, encouraged, challenged, and believed in me. But here’s an appreciation post anyways 🫶🏽What most people see is only me and the barbell. What only a few people see is everything leading up to that moment. It’s every coach that invested in me. It’s every competitor who pushed me. It’s every teammate that I leaned on. It’s the mentors who guided me. It’s the performance & medical team who kept me going. It’s the sponsors who financially supported me. It’s the fans who cheered me on. It’s the community that molded me. It’s the support of a life long partner. To those who have been a part of my journey in any capacity, thank you. Idk what’s next, but for now…I’m repairing the grout in my shower and I ran a mile this morning 🙃”
4. She Works With A Psychologist
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Delacruz shared how she handles her mental health when competing with Velaasa. “I have the privilege of getting to work with USAW’s sports psychologist, who has helped me navigate through the physical and mental pressures of sports since 2019. Additionally, I learned that a lot of the pressure an athlete may feel comes from others. I learned to focus on what I want out of this sport, and that, alone, has reduced the impact of physical and mental pressures.”
5. She Lifts Weights
Weightlifting is the main way Delacruz stays fit. She talked about what she loves about the sport with Velaasa. “Weightlifting has a lot to offer young athletes. For me, I became more confident in who I was as a person through this sport. I learned that I love the feeling of being strong. I learned that the best type of community is the type that supports you through everything. Lastly, I’ve made lifelong relationships because of this sport, and for that, I am forever grateful for weightlifting.”
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