'This feels joyful' says Etta Love after weightlifting her way to Commonwealth Games bronze

Etta, what a brilliant result for you. A bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. Describe what this means to you. Oh, I mean, this is just the fun part, right? I feel like always training for months, especially when you're training alone or training in Saskatchewan and maybe not Glasgow, that's the hard work. And so this is just really fun. I think it's a performance. And especially getting to compete, like this feels like a theater. This feels just very joyful. Take me through the strategy. You know me. I'm into this weightlifting world and I'm trying to figure it out. You told me all about sort of the mind games that go on. I felt maybe that was at play here today. Yeah, it was. I mean, there's kind of two parts. One of it is that anything that I don't need to know, I'm not going to be told while I'm competing. But also I've been doing this for a very long time. I've been lifting since I was five, competing since I was nine. And so I can kind of tell what's happening most of the time. I think that I do my best when I just make lifts. And so often when we're going into a competition like this, where medals are really important and placement is kind of the name of the game, especially right now. It's more that if I kind of think of it like chaos, even if there's a storm around me. I still miss even if there's a storm around me. And so if I can, you know, it's the same as in the gym. It's just me and the barbell. And if I can make my lifts, then I will get what I want. Your journey is surrounded by people who love you and support you. In this moment, who are you thinking about and celebrating with? Yeah, I mean, the first person I called, I called my coach. She's back home, Crystal. Just to we've, you know, we're on this journey together. Hopefully, you know, our goal is the Olympics. We, it's a long road. And so I wanted to talk to her. This is the first competition I've done in a while without her. And so, yeah, my family, my two brothers, my mom and dad. Yeah, and then there's, I mean, an even bigger community at home who I think having queer community at home is really, really important to me. And so I'm excited to get to see everyone back home. You have this platform right now. Etta, what do you say to young women, young men, young queer people back in our home of Saskatoon? Yeah. Oh, I mean, I think that a big part of it is getting to be your whole self, no matter where you are. But it's also that you deserve to trust yourself. I think that there's always going to be something where you feel, I mean, every situation that I'm in requires a little bit of a different role for me to be in. But the thing that I love about weightlifting is that it's evidence to trust myself. I have to trust myself in order to go and lift something that I know I need that's a little bit scary. But it also builds that. And I think that's something that I take with me into other places of my life where I know that I have a deep trust that I will, that I'm like a friend to myself. Your mom messaged me. She says she loves you. She says she's proud of you. Miles, your brother, says you're the best sister ever. Diva Miles, yes, yes. I mean, I'm so excited to see them. I'll see them in a few days. Yeah, love them. I'm very, very grateful to have them at home for me. You've made our city so proud, our province so proud and our country so proud. Well done, Etta. Thank you so much.