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Independent Lens: Strong

Aired Wednesday, August 1st, 2012 @ 6:00 am on KUED World Ch. 7.2 »

A formidable figure, standing at 5'8" and weighing over 300 pounds, Cheryl Haworth struggles to defend her champion status as her lifetime weightlifting career inches towards its inevitable end. Strong! chronicles her journey and the challenges this unusual elite athlete faces, exploring popular notions of power, strength, beauty, and health.

This Diverse Voices program was screened on Wednesday August 8th, 2012 at 7:00 pm at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (formerly Salt Lake Art Center).

Screening panelists:

Rebecca Ballstaedt
played Division 1 softball and rugby for the University of Utah and was the captain of the U of U’s Women’s Rugby league from 2001-2003. She received her B.A. in Exercise Sport Science and Nutrition in 2003 and after college, she competed in the 2008 CrossFit games in 2008 and finished 28th in the world. Ballstaedt currently owns a CrossFit gym where she is a coach, trainer and nutrition consultant. She lives in Draper and is the mother of two small girls.
Norma Carr Salt Lake Community College
has a Master of Science in Physical Education from the University of Utah. Throughout her career, Norma has advocated for Title IX, landmark legislation mandating that women should have an equal opportunity to participate in and receive scholarships for athletics. Norma also saw women’s college sports move from a separate leadership organization - the AIAW - to the NCAA which now oversees both men and women’s collegiate sports. She was the first woman in Utah to referee at a boys basketball game; she is the first and only female Director of Athletics at Salt Lake Community College; and, she was inducted into the University of Utah Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. Norma Carr has spent her life time advocating for women and girls rights.
Dave Chiu
has been involved in Olympic Weightlifting since 1987. He has competed at 10 national events, gaining the medal podium 5 times including a Collegiate National Championship and U.S. Olympic Festival silver. He has coached lifters more than 20 times at national-level events, winning medals on 9 occasions including 2 championships and several national records. On a state-level, Coach Chiu’s lifters have won dozens of championships and medals, and set a great many state records. Dave has university-level training in exercise, physiology, and nutrition, and has coached literally hundreds of athletes through thousands of workouts and competitions.
Susie Porter University of Utah
is an Associate Professor and Director of Gender Studies Program at the University of Utah. Her research and teaching includes Mexican women's history, and she is currently writing a history of secretaries in Mexico. She also teaches at the Westside Leadership Institute, a community improvement workshop and network for Spanish speakers in our community.

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