08/23/2026
This is Sebastian Stodel. You may have seen him lifting in the Slideout or putting in some extra accessory work around the gym; but you may not know just how accomplished he is.
Sebastian is a Youth Pan-American Champion, holds multiple Florida High School and Florida Weightlifting Federation State Records, and owns three Youth American Records.
Now, as the #1-ranked Junior 65kg weightlifter in the United States, Sebastian has been selected to represent Team USA at the 2026 Pan American Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tepic, Mexico, this October!
Representing Team USA is an incredible opportunity, but international competition also comes with significant travel expenses. With the Florida Weightlifting Federation discontinuing international athlete funding for the foreseeable future, Sebastian and Coach Sean will be responsible for approximately $3,000 in travel costs.
We’d love for our gym and pickleball community to be part of helping send Sebastian and Sean to Mexico. If you would like to make a donation to help him out, please send Venmo to and put Sebastian in memo. Victoria can provide receipt also, so you can write off, as we have a 501c. We will also be doing a 50/50 raffle this Thursday night at Athena’s pickleball event at FCRC.
Whether you donate, share Sebastian’s story, or simply wish him luck when you see him training, we truly appreciate the support from our FCRC community.
Help us send Sebastian to Pan Ams and cheer him on as he represents Team USA! 🇺🇸🏋️
