Jaden, Aiden off to Samoa for OWF Elite Junior Training Camp

Young weightlifters Jaden Andrew and Aiden Gimed left this morning, Thursday, Nov. 12, and are ready to lift some weights in the 2026 OWF Elite Junior Training Camp in Apia, Samoa at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute & Academy that will be held until Nov. 22.

Weightlifting athletes and coaches from all over Oceania including New Zealand, Australia, Guam, Niue, Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, American Samoa, Cook Island, Nauru, Kiribati, Palau, Tahiti, New Caledonia, and Marshall Islands will be in attendance preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Andrew has been weightlifting since 2023 and has represented the CNMI in multiple competitions including the Guam Open National Championship, Marianas Weightlifting Cup, and Bacolod City Philippine Championships in 2023; the Micronesian Games in Marshall Islands and Guam Open National Championship in 2024; the Palau Pacific Mini Games in 2025; and the Marianas Open this year.

Meanwhile, Gimed, who is from Saipan, represents the Federated States of Micronesia, and is a long-time training partner of Andrew.

For Andrew, he said of the opportunity to participate in the camp: “I’m very grateful for this opportunity to train at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute & Academy in Samoa. It’s a great chance to learn from experienced coaches, train alongside other talented athletes, and continue developing as a weightlifter.”

On what he wants to learn at the camp, Andrew said, “I’m looking to learn everything I can. I know there’s still so much room for improvement, so I want to take in as much knowledge and experience as possible from the coaches and other athletes.”

His goal while there is to improve himself as an athlete by learning new training methods, refining his technique, and becoming stronger and more consistent in his lifts.

Andrew is preparing to compete at the 2027 Pacific Games in Tahiti and the 2027 World Weightlifting Championships and said this camp will help him perform his best in those competitions.

He then thanked the CNMI Weightlifting Federation for choosing him to represent in the training camp.

For Gimed, he said he is grateful for the opportunity to participate in the camp. “It allows me to train with different athletes and coaches, gain more experience, and improve as a weightlifter,” he said. “I’m looking to learn more new stuff in this training camp. I’m also looking to learn how I can improve my lifts to make them stronger.”

His goal is to improve his lifts, get stronger, and learn as much as he can from the coaches there. “I also want to push myself and become more prepared for future competitions”. Gimed’s future competitions, like Andrew, include the 2027 Pacific Games and the 2027 World Weightlifting Championships.