Episode 17: The Thompson Family

Josh Rohr: welcome back to the USA Powerlifting Podcast. We are here with the Thompsons, the crew of four. why don't we kind of go around the room and everybody just kind of introduce yourself, maybe start with when you got into powerlifting and then we'll kind of go from there. How about how about Brody? You go first. Broden: Right, I'm twenty, I'm the youngest in the family, been powerlifting for probably eight years since I was twelve. Whenever my parents got me into it, and I'm playing college baseball right now. Josh Rohr: You got into powerlifting when you were twelve? Broden: Probably, would would you say that, Mom? Something like that? Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Your first meet was when you're fourteen 'cause we had to wait to age in, but probably started Josh Rohr: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: training when he was twelve. Josh Rohr: So was that your choice or was that forced? Broden: it was probably a mutual decision. 'Cause I see my parents and my whole family and everyone lifting every day, so it's like probably should start doing that 'cause everyone else is now. Josh Rohr: Yeah, that's a pretty good politically correct answer. Jen and Donovan: Might have gave him a little nudge. Broden: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: Plus he was tiny. He was the tiniest Thompson for ever. So he had to get better. Josh Rohr: How tall are you now? Broden: Mm-hmm. Josh Rohr: I've seen some pictures and both both Broden: Yeah. Now now I'm the tallest. I'm at least six foot now. Josh Rohr: Got it. Nice. Tucker, how about Broden: Mm-hmm. Josh Rohr: you? When did you get into powerlifting? Tucker Thompson: well, I'm I'm Tucker. I'm about to be twenty three years old and I started powerlifting well, training at twelve and my first competition was at fourteen. and I'm I'm about to graduate from CCCTI or Caldwell Community College and head out to Washington. Josh Rohr: What are you doing out there? Tucker Thompson: hopefully gonna get into like some PLC and el electrical work. Josh Rohr: Nice. Good stuff. Jen Thompson, how about you? Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Let's see, I started weight training just out of college, but I it's I think my first competition was nineteen ninety-eight, maybe. Yeah. Yeah. ninety eight, yeah, ninety eight. Ninety eight, yeah. Ninety nine. I'd been training for a while. I didn't know anything about powerlifting. Back then, fitness and bodybuilding was pretty much the way it was going. And I think I was twenty six or twenty seven when I did my first powerlifting meet in Michigan and I was pretty much hooked after that. Josh Rohr: Nice. Jennifer Thompson's husband, how about you? Jen and Donovan: I started lifting weights when I was in the military right after high school because I was a ninety-eight-pound wrestler in high school, so I was pretty small in the military. and then I just trained in for wrestling in college, and I actually didn't start powerlifting until after Jen did, so I was actually forty when I first did my first powerlifting meet that I've been training since I Josh Rohr: For real? I didn't realize that. Jen and Donovan: was nineteen. Yep. So two Josh Rohr: Wow, cool. Jen and Donovan: thousand four. four, two thousand five, something like that. It was my first meet. Josh Rohr: So some of your background, you've been on the E C, you guys were state chairs in North Carolina, right? Jen and Donovan: Yep. I was state chair for twenty years. Yeah. Team manager, a few world teams, referee, international referee. Josh Rohr: Yeah, I guess we should probably just go through that real quick. what what have you done in the sport, I guess, outside of I think most people know you as the lifter, Jen. Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Josh Rohr: And most people know Donovan as your as Jen's husband. But Donovan's actually Jen and Donovan: Mm-hmm. Josh Rohr: pretty established himself, right? Jen and Donovan: Yeah, absolutely. Josh Rohr: So you guys wanna just talk about that a little bit, like what you guys what have you done in this sport, I guess, what some of the you know, lifting accomplishments, but also just like some of the leadership roles and coaching, some of those things too. Jen and Donovan: Well, we lifted for several years. and we grew up in Michigan, but then we moved down to North Carolina and they were lacking a state chair down here. So I I wanted to start giving back to the sport that I enjoyed so much. So became a state referee and then they made me the state chair because the position was open. So we did that for twenty years. We put on all our we put almost every meet on in North Carolina. We started, I think, with fifteen members. And when I us being two of them. Us being two of And then when I handed it over just a year or so ago, I think we had like five fifty or something like that. but we put on all the state and local competitions. We put on a few national competitions here. then I worked my way up to international referees. So we went to Worlds. We could score all the team members because you had to provide one referee. And Donovan was always the coach, so he didn't get his international referee license. So he couldn't be forced to referee at the worlds. and I was on a few of the committees on the IPF way back when. And yeah, that's pretty much it. Lifting, refing, and you did some medical stuff. Yeah, I started out just following along as a husband and then got kinda trapped into being the coach of the bench press world team, which I did for ten years. and coaching gen at nationals and then was on the E C for a bit, refereed a bunch. like she said, I didn't get my international 'cause they would force you to referee. but I think I've been to somewhere around thirty five world championships, either as a coach, competitor, or referee, internationally and Been a long bumpy road. Now we both assistant coach for Midland. So we show up at collegiance every year and referee and help coach Midland. I should say I'm on the board of the IDFPA now. That's probably important, right? Josh Rohr: Yeah, you probably should say that. Yeah. It's probably one of those things, like I'm sure at this stage there's gonna be things that you forget, like when you're going through your bio on the fly without it being written down in front of you. Like there's Jen and Donovan: It's been a long time, yeah. Josh Rohr: a lot of things. So yeah, it's that's normal. let's see. So I'll start with this question, and this is kind of open to all of you. So you've all four competed, both raw and equipped, correct? Jen and Donovan: Well the boys didn't Broden: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: equ compete equipped. they did, but they didn't wear equipment. Right. Josh Rohr: Yeah they d okay, so they were in the division. So I was looking up op open powerlifting. Okay, so they didn't wear equipment. Jen and Donovan: They were in the division 'cause they could win it without equipment, 'cause that's kinda how we that's how we do. Yeah, sorry. Just Okay. Josh Rohr: Well that screws up my question then. But but but I'm gonna ask it anyway. So my my question was gonna be, you've all competed both raw and equipped and in full power and bench only. Which is your favorite division and why, each of you? That would have been a much cooler question if you guys actually wore it were the were the gear, but Tucker Thompson: Ha ha. Jen and Donovan: Well they c I think they both can still answer it. Tucker can definitely answer the equipped one. He's trying 'cause we tried it on him once. Josh Rohr: Okay. Tucker Thompson: yeah, I I'm not gonna lie, I absolutely hated it. It was brut like Jen and Donovan: Mm-hmm. Tucker Thompson: it was t like cuts you up and also like it's like and you I feel like you have to at least for me, I had to I because I wasn't benching enough, like I had to like actually pull the weight down to my chest or try to and it just I couldn't do it. I wasn't a fan. So I would say three three lifts raw is my is my favorite for sure. Josh Rohr: Gotcha. Broden: Yeah, watching that experience kinda made me not wanna try it. Tucker Thompson: Okay. Josh Rohr: It doesn't it it doesn't pique your interest like, this looks really hard. Maybe I'll you don't look at it as a challenge. Broden: Yeah, I'll just watching my dad or Jeff Snyder try to put on the shirt and everything with the bags and whatnot, I'm like, I think I'm I think I'm good on that. Jen and Donovan: You guys don't know that Josh Rohr, our interviewer here, was a huge equipped and accomplished lifter here. He was he was wanting something more. Junior Worlds, right, Josh Rohr: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: Josh? Josh Rohr: Yeah, a couple of times. Yeah, I I was really Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Tucker Thompson: Ha ha. Josh Rohr: I was really hoping for more from you guys on that, but I I'll take it. I'll take it I guess. Jen and Donovan: Broden doesn't even like to put on knee sleeves for Raw. That's how much he doesn't Broden: Yeah, that's true. Jen and Donovan: like equipment. Josh Rohr: There is raw raw Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Broden: Mm-hmm. Just a belt. Josh Rohr: Nice. Got it. Jen, what about you? Jen and Donovan: Thank you. Josh Rohr: I I can speculate my your your answer, but what which is your favorite division and why? Jen and Donovan: Actually, my favorite is the three lift raw. was it? Josh Rohr: That was gonna be my guess. Yeah. Jen and Donovan: I like just that it's longer. If you screw up, you can still make up for it, if you do a bench press competition, you just get three lifts. It's really almost like gambling. whereas with the three lift, it's longer, so you're kind of a little bit more with the athletes, and there's a lot more. I I don't even know I'd say whether it's more strategy involved, maybe the same amount of strategy, but I just like that three left roll. Yeah. Okay, go on. I just like that you you have a lot of opportunity. There's nine opportunities versus three. and I I like it because people think I'm just a bench presser. So it's just a way to I have four world titles. A little bit. Yeah. Josh Rohr: D does that does that does that bother you? That people think of you as a I I feel like I feel I I feel like it I can speculate that that bothers you. Jen and Donovan: But even the other day someone was asking her, have you at the world at the in Iceland, they were like, Have you ever tried a shirt? She's like, I'm a multi time world champion in a shirt. what are talking about? It was Josh Rohr: Yeah. I feel like I feel like people have short windows of their pers their view of the sport. Like a lot of people Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Josh Rohr: have not been in and this is the kind of the debate too, like, you know, how important is it to know your history? But I mean, think it's important, but also like if you're talking to people that have been doing it long term, like I feel like there's that respect that should go that should be extended, I guess. Like kind of know who you're talking to a little bit. Unlike me who's just winging it here with with you guys, right? Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Right. I think there there's, a lot of turnover in our sport. There's very few of us that have been in it for the length that we have. there's it's a small group of people. so it it doesn't. It you know, it just makes me laugh, you know, when I they're like, have you ever tried a shirt before? And I'm like, Well, yes. I've had a few world records and few world championships and that not in the three lift though, just in the bench press. Josh Rohr: So I was looking I I'm not forgetting Donovan, we will definitely get to you, but I was looking at your open power lifting and your raw your best raw bench is very, very close to your best equipped bench in a meet. Is that is that is that Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Two two pounds. Josh Rohr: something that's still kind of dangling like you want to get that at some point, or is that not really on your radar? Jen and Donovan: not really on my radar anymore. It wasn't like a a time. I've been able to do it like a touch and go in the gym. I can do more than that. I've not done it in a competition though. So at this point Josh I'm just trying to stay healthy and in it. Josh Rohr: I hear ya. Donovan, what do you have to say? What's your favorite? Jen and Donovan: competing I like lifting three lift raw, but unlike what Jennifer said, I would rather coach an equipped bench meet because I think that is the ultimate strategy meet. I think there's no more strategy involved than in a really competitive bench equipped meet because anyone can take any swing at any time and you gotta really know your numbers and weights and lot numbers and I think that's the ultimate strategy. especially from a coaching standpoint. Josh Rohr: What's been your favorite coaching moment up to this point? Jen and Donovan: I think when Jen won her first worlds in New Zealand, just because I think it was the very, very first one bench equipped worlds, the you know, the first time she ever won a world championship, it was right after nine eleven and she beat the Japanese lifter on Pearl Harbor Day. Josh Rohr: wow, that's crazy. That is crazy. Jen and Donovan: Crazy, right? Yeah. So that one was pretty cool. And then I think two thousand eighteen in Calgary, when she'd come back from hip surgery and they had all the hoopla about who's who's gonna win the the sixty three class and here's the top five and they didn't even list her as being someone who was even gonna be in the medals and We just took a massive swing on a second deadlift to put everybody on the world record or a PR and no one was willing to come get it and she beat him. So Josh Rohr: It's awesome. Jen and Donovan: those are probably the two big ones. And then Josh Rohr: Yeah. I I love something those go ahead, sorry, go Jen and Donovan: Yeah, when I think as a team perspective, when the men's team won their very first world title for the US ever, in Bench well, and I think it was the first men's team that ever won a IPF title. So that was Pretty cool. And it came down to Dan Gaudreau losing third place on body weight to assure enough points for us to win it overall. He's like, just two and a half more. I'm like, We can't we can't risk it, man. If you're fourth, we win. If you miss, we lose. And he was like, All right, I'll go for it. And he tied for third and lost the medal on body weight to win it for the team, which was pretty cool. Josh Rohr: Yeah. Yeah, that's a that is a very interesting situation because that's a very hard sell to a lifter to give up a medal for the team. But ultimately that is the goal is the team placings, I think, right? So that's pretty cool. Jen and Donovan: Yeah, I think that's the thing that a lot of the people go to the worlds they don't understand, and but we we went in it for a reason. We sat down as a team and were like, Look, we're going for points as a team and you might get thrown to the wolves and have a number that you never could lift, but we gotta run someone off the board, or we may have to not let you meddle to just get enough points to get in there. And everybody agreed and and bought in because the US had never won a international title in all of those years. And so And so we set out to do it and actually the women's team won, so we were the first dual champions ever in US history, which was Josh Rohr: That's awesome. Bench nationals twenty twenty four, Tucker and Brody, that was your last meet. When are you guys coming back? Jen and Donovan: Ha ha ha. Broden: I guess whenever I'm done with baseball or I I might do like a local meet at some point or something, but I mean I'm kinda just trying to stay healthy at this point until I'm done with baseball, so we'll see whenever that happens. Josh Rohr: Gotcha. Well you're on record as saying that you're gonna do a local mate here at some point. So that's all I needed. Tucker, how about Broden: Yeah. Josh Rohr: you? Tucker Thompson: I'm a I'm a little bit more complicated. I've I've had quite Jen and Donovan: No. Tucker Thompson: a few I've had quite a few injuries in my time in the sport and I think I'm just focusing on just well like getting my body healthy and more rounded and I I don't I can't I I have no idea when I'll be back. Jen and Donovan: I told him you never no one ever quits this sport. You may take a break, but no one ever really quits. Tucker Thompson: That that's com and that's that's probably the most accurate thing is I I I don't know how long my break will be. Jen and Donovan: He's had hip, knee, and shoulder surgery. Josh Rohr: wow. Jen and Donovan: Yeah. So he's he's been put through it. Tucker Thompson: Yeah, yeah. So just just focusing on on that and when I get out to Washington I'm hoping to climb some mountains. Josh Rohr: There you go. That'll get you in shape. Tucker Thompson: Now I'm still I will say I am I'm absolutely still lifting, don't get me wrong. I just more focused on a little bit higher reps and just more like I said, focused on being well rounded where I used to some some of my mentality previously used to be just trying to like I mean I would jump twenty five, fifty pounds in a session sometimes on a single when I didn't need to. You know, so Josh Rohr: Getting getting smarter with your with your ma yeah, with I was just gonna say. Yeah. Shocking, right? Tucker Thompson: That'll do it. Jen and Donovan: Maturity. Yeah. Thus the injuries. Tucker Thompson: Yep. Yeah. Yep. my my Broden: Mm-hmm. Tucker Thompson: my hip my my hip surgery came directly from from not being the smartest with deadlifts. I was I was doing really, really good on deadlifts and I think I I did I was I was going for six hundred and I I was pulling, pulling, pulling, I just it wasn't my hip already wasn't good and I was pulling, pulling, pulling and I felt like a bigger pop I was like, no, it's over Josh Rohr: So I haven't gone through all of the all of your meet histories, but you all four did compete at twenty twenty four bench nationals. Has there been more than one meet where you guys have all competed? And what's that like? Jen and Donovan: Yeah, we all I think Broden: Yeah, there's definitely been a lot. Jen and Donovan: at least at the time, now maybe if it's changed, we're the only family to have kids and parents all compete at the same world at the same time. Josh Rohr: But Jen and Donovan: So we were all on the same world team in Japan. And then we were all gonna go to Prague, or I think it was Prague that year, and then COVID took us out. So we would've we were all on that team and ready to go, and then COVID ended the those meets. but yeah, we've done two Josh Rohr: So that was two two worlds you've done? Is that Jen and Donovan: worlds. bunch of nationals. I mean a bunch of bench nationals in a row. every sense I guess since Broad was fourteen and could compete, we probably did every bench nationals, right, Broad? After that? Broden: Yeah, I I'd think so 'cause I never skipped out on any of 'cause I figured I might as well lift if I was going anyway. Jen and Donovan: And yeah, one year Tucker had to fly down, lift, and then fly back home to pitch in the state championships. So we just flew Josh Rohr: man. Jen and Donovan: him in, he benched, won it to make the world team, and then we sent him back on the on the plane the same day. Yeah. Josh Rohr: That's awesome. Jen and Donovan: So he could go and then he got there and pitched that night. Josh Rohr: So are you do you Brody, do you lift during baseball season or not? Broden: Yeah, we do a lot of lifting here for my school, but it's more a lot of it's more like explosive focused. we don't do any barbell bench or back squat for the most part. It's like lunges or front squat, things like that. It's not more as much powerlifting focused. Josh Rohr: Yeah, but it's still lifting. I just I'm curious 'cause there's there's some schools and teams where they're like, no, no lifting during the season and I'm just like scratching my head, like, where what is the Broden: Yeah. No, we're we kinda have a different mentality. Even during the the spring season we still lift two times a week just to make sure everyone maintains strength and prevent injury injuries and everything like that. Josh Rohr: Yeah, a hundred percent. That's that's why I just I scratch my head on those when people say that it's just like, How in the world do you think that's a good idea to not train during the season? obviously you're not going all in on right. Broden: Yeah. you don't have to max out but yeah. Josh Rohr: Yeah, you gotta be smart, but you're also like trying to keep your body in shape and healthy, like you said. Broden: Mm-hmm. Jen and Donovan: Tell about the circuit, Broad. Broden: yeah. Well, because I'm at a junior college. We don't have any strength coaches or anything. And it's you just have to squish everything into a short amount of time. So right now in the winter, twice a week we go and we do thirty sets of ten different exercises in half an hour. And it's kind of just like it's more like mental training to be honest, because it's like you're Jen and Donovan: Ha Broden: sitting there and you kinda just want to like pass out and you just gotta push through it. Josh Rohr: Did you say I heard you th so you said thirty sets of ten different exercises in thirty minutes? Broden: Yeah, so it's like three sets of ten on squat, bench, tricep, set, and then it's thirty thirty sets and you get a minute for each set. So you finish your squat. You start a minute, you do your squat, and then when the minute's over you have to go again. Josh Rohr: Okay, so it's thirty total sets. It's not thirty sets of each of the ten exercises. That's that's Broden: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Josh Rohr: what that's what I heard in my head. I'm like, that doesn't make sense to me. I gotcha. Okay. Either way, that's brutal. Broden: Yeah, so most of the time the freshmen coming in are like just throwing up everywhere. Josh Rohr: Yeah. That's cool. I guess Broden: Mm-hmm. Josh Rohr: cool's relative, but yeah. Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Broden: It's it's fun to watch now that I'm not the guy that's like struggling. Josh Rohr: Yeah. That's funny. so I'll throw it back to Jen and Donovan. why USA powerlifting? Jen and Donovan: well when first found out about powerlifting, you know, this was back before internet when you had to look in the back of powerlifting USA magazine and find a competition to lift in. and there was a bunch of different organizations, but to me we were like, Well, USA powerlifting, that sounds like the most legit. Sounds like the right one by the name alone. Yeah, it was wasn't Josh Rohr: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: just a bunch of initials, you know, it was drug tested and it sounded like you were going to lift for your country. So it just it sounded like that was the right one. And then once we did a couple competitions, I mean that solidified it because it was you know, it was professionally run. I mean, we've come a long way from, you know, the nineties till now. But for me I really wanted to lift in a clean sport. And I know after the first couple of competitions, it is very apparent that we're trying to keep it as clean as possible. Like there's a lot of measures taking place that most other organizations don't take so that we can try to make a clean platform. So that was that was important to me. And I also wanted to feel like I was lifting for my country. I remember one of the Arnolds, they Asked Jen, why are you in the USAPL, at the Arnolds when there's all of the, WPO was then and all these other throwing out all that money different, you know, that the money meets were starting and 100% raw and all those. And and she said, I don't want to be a big fish in a little pond. I want to be the fish. And I think that kind of summed it up. And then now I think it's drug testing. I I think We stayed with USAPL when the IPF pushed us aside based on drug testing. it's clear and evident that you know, it the whole thing was about drug testing, you know, the all the way down the the list and so we're like if they're not serious about it, that's not really where we wanna be. I think that, you know, and and if you wanna take PEDs, fine. There's organizations for that. I don't have any problem if you do that. Just, morals and ethics says you shouldn't cheat. And so we try to lift in a clean federation 'cause that's how we lift. and I think at this point we're gonna stick with it or as far as we can and see where it goes. Josh Rohr: broad strokes, what is your each of you we'll start with we'll start with Brody again. What's your favorite memory of powerlifting? Broden: Hm, my favorite memory, it's gotta be like the traveling with the family and everything 'cause we've been to some pretty awesome places like Japan and Australia and everything and just since it's kinda all four of us just being able to spend time in a bunch of cool places and live together and just like the company with it. Josh Rohr: Tucker. Broden: And definitely all the people that we train with too, 'cause there a lot of great people we train with that I like talking to. Tucker Thompson: I have like two separate memories or like two separate things. I have a personal favorite and then I have, kinda on the theme of what Brody was talking about, like just like a great memory. I think some of my favorite like family or just powerlifting in general memories were when me and Brody would always like we were little kids and they always brought us like to the meets. It went and I I don't know, it was just it was just Really cool, just being in that experience, I guess, and meeting all these super strong pe I w what I consider be to be the prime of the the sport, when all of the you know, everybody was lifting that, you know, was around my parents. So that was that was probably my favorite memory of just in general. And then obviously like all the traveling and that we've done with our parents. has all been wonderful. And then my favorite powerlifting memory itself has gotta be my I don't know what year it was. I'm sure my dad will know, but it was my freshman high school nationals. That was that was probably my favorite. I I g I I I'll let I'll let I'll let my dad elaborate on that one. Jen and Donovan: Go ahead. Yeah, his freshman year, he qualified for varsity in the sixty kilo, I think it was fifty-nine kilos back then, the fifty-nine kilo class, barely. And but it was like a year and a half old qualifier. And so I said, Well, you can go JV and win it, or we can try to compete as varsity. And he's like, I want to see if I can win varsity. I'm like, All right. So we went and on his Openers, he was 15th out of 16. And then outsquatted everybody. And of course, won the bench because that's what we do. And then was second in the deadlift and won the nationals by 40 kilos. And then they Josh Rohr: Wow. That's awesome. Jen and Donovan: were like, and then they were all complaining because he shouldn't be allowed in the varsity because he was only a freshman. Josh Rohr: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: And they were like, What do you mean? He's like, He's a freshman, he can't compete varsity. Like, no. Josh Rohr: Yeah, clearly he has an unfair advantage. Jen and Donovan: Juniors seniors can't do JV, but if he wanted to try it, and he was pretty smart because he didn't want anybody to know. So we warmed up way across the gym with some of the girls and didn't warm up with the guys on his platform. So they had literally no idea. And then they went to Johnny Graham upset because he didn't get drug tested. And they wanted him drug tested after he won because something's up. And he's like, hey, the kid walking around with a Thompson like world team jacket on. Pay attention to that guy because there might be something going on. And then they kept complaining. He's finally like, he got drug tested for the world team in his basement last week out of meat. we're not doing this again. And they were like, okay. So, and for me it was pretty cool because, you know, I I coached Jen and everybody's like, well, you know, when you coach anyone can coach Jen and win. You know, it's it's not great coaching, it's just a great athlete. And so to take someone else and win a nationals. just kinda, validated what we do and all of our training and that it's actually good stuff. it's not just one great athlete making us all look good, So that was pretty cool. Josh Rohr: Yeah. Yeah, that's pretty cool. I didn I Tucker Thompson: There's also fun I got a fun fact about that. there's a there's a picture of me and my mom making the exact same face with the exact same weight. I I think it was three forty-two was the squat. Right? Jen and Donovan: But yeah. Tucker Thompson: Yeah, yeah. So it's very, very similar. Jen and Donovan: Tucker and I have a healthy competition competitive relationship. Always happen. Yeah, Josh Rohr: I see some of your stuff on social media. Tucker Thompson: I've never taken her bench. Jen and Donovan: so and and so Tucker and Jen are a very good like biological question, right? So at Jen's very first meet in ninety eight, she squatted one eighty five and it took her nearly twenty years to squat three forty two. Tucker, at his very first meet, squatted 185, and it took him about 15 months to squat 342. Difference, male testosterone. Like all these Tucker Thompson: Ha ha ha. Jen and Donovan: debate, I'm like, I got the debate. Same training, same family, 15 months, 15 years. It's really easy here, guys. Like, this is no magic. Although he still Josh Rohr: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: can't bench with her, so we don't know what's up. Tucker Thompson: I was about to say I have I I got I got that close. Jen and Donovan: Really close. Tucker Thompson: I still I still haven't I still haven't I still haven't topped it. Josh Rohr: Well, there's still time. Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Yeah. So don't give up. and they were in the same weight class too, Josh. Back then. They they l Tucker Thompson: Yeah. It's it's becoming less impress it's becoming here here's the differ Jen and Donovan: literally were in the same weight class. Tucker Thompson: Here here's the difference though. As Broden: Mm. Tucker Thompson: as time goes on it becomes more impressive for her and less impressive for me. Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Broden: Yeah. Josh Rohr: That's that's actually true. Tucker Thompson: Ha ha ha. Josh Rohr: It's funny. Jen and Donovan: I think for like the memories is so hard because it, you know, it has been such an important and dominant part of our life, you know. I just I love that we tr we trained together. It was family time for us. It was something that we could all do. that was our time we spent together. It was a good time to encourage each other. find out ep about each other's days. But some of my big memories are when we lifted at the Purple Palace. Yeah. That's when Tucker learned how to walk. No, that was in the plaza. The plaza in Colleen, Texas. No, that wasn't the Purple Palace. You're right. He that's where Tucker took his first steps. While Jen was lifting, we didn't even see it. I think Darcy Doan was what with him and she saw him walk for the first time while we were actually competing. Yeah. Josh Rohr: man, that's cool. Jen and Donovan: But that that always really sticks in my head that that moment that he just started taking off. and you know, all the travel moments. for me it was so important to show my sons a different perspective of what a mom, a female athlete or a woman was capable of. so for you know, their lives they didn't necessarily have to lift in the gym, but they were always in the gym with us. And I always wanted to them to have a different perspective of what women can do. And so I have a lot of really awesome memories of our us being competitive, pet competitive, supporting each other. the travel was so much fun, 'cause it's an adventure. And I think if you have the opportunity, I really feel like going international with your kids is life changing to see how other cultures live and behave and how to learn to be accepting of all different types of of people and seeing that people grow up differently. And there was just so many I mean I think most of I think both of them really loved Japan because they were a little bit older, but we we for Japan we spent a week or two weeks we took the bullet train from Tokyo down to Hiroshima and we just made stops and checked out different places and we were just experiencing all these really cool things. So the lifting was great, but the memories that we've been able to make at these lifting moments is irreplaceable. Remember a train to a boat, to a rail car, to a helicopter. Like I they're like, what are we doing today? I'm like, well, we gotta take the train, we're gonna get on a boat. Then we're gonna take a cable car, and then at the end we take a helicopter completely made up. And then we literally got on a train to a boat to some island, up this rail car, and we got to the very top and Broad was like, Where's the helicopter? I'm like, dude, I was completely making that up. Broad does not like the height. Tucker Thompson: Japan Japan was Josh Rohr: That's funny. Tucker Thompson: Japan was unbelievable, I will say that. That unbelievable. Jen and Donovan: Yeah. You gotta stu yeah, if you if you introduce them to travel and strength sports and those kind of things early, you don't have to push them into it later. They'll pick the type of fitness travel adventures that they want, but they're already kind of in it. Like I mean, Road went to his first powerlifting meet in a car carrier. Jen like handed them off to Deb Farrell at three months old and then went into bench like and he was just like literally not even three months old. And so he would just We never said you gotta go lift, but we're down here lifting. If you wanna be involved, if you wanna go on the trips. And so it just becomes part of what we did. And I think it became part of what they wanted to do, not really what they were told to do. Broden: Yeah, there's definitely a few you just gotta try you gotta make try it, at least so 'cause I remember it was like I didn't wanna play baseball and then you were like just try it or just try lifting and then it ended up being, you know, what I'm still doing now. Jen and Donovan: Yeah, Broad was Broad doesn't like powerlifting so much that he was fourth in the nation in high school. That's how much he hates it. Right? Like it's it'd be that good at something you hate, supposedly. But you know, we were like, you don't have to power lift, Broad, but if you lift weights, you're gonna be better for your sports. And if you compete, you'll work harder at it. And so he recognized that. And so he would sign up for meats, knowing it would if you know that people are gonna be watching you later, you're gonna try harder now, so to speak. And so That's kinda how he used it where Tucker was in it, in it. in it to win it. Josh Rohr: Awesome. Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Josh Rohr: Donovan, I'm not sure if you actually gave your answer, your favorite favorite memory of powerlifting. Jen and Donovan: Yeah, the one with Tucker, the validation of, taking your son there to as a freshman and just wiping everybody out was pretty slick. I think we went to North Dakota. Where is is it North Dakota, South Dakota? Where are we were South Dakota. Went to South Dakota Tucker Thompson: South Dakota. South Dakota. Jen and Donovan: and between the four of us we won seven national titles. Which was pretty cool, to bring home seven gold medals between the four of us. I mean that was, you know, we just, you know, wiped everybody out. And I remember somebody Broad was lifting and one of the dads came up whose son was lifting against him and he's like, are you like, is that Jennifer's son? He's a Thompson. I'm Yeah, he's like, wouldn't you know it? Like the one time we come to a bench, meet we get Jennifer's son in our weight class. Yeah. Josh Rohr: And they're talking to you. Saying that to you. Jen and Donovan: Yep. Josh Rohr: That's funny. Jen and Donovan: And so, you know, that just that, you know, kind of that the met you know, the the knowledge that, you know, as a family we could go and and have fun, win, travel the world. I mean, just those kind of things, you know, have been, you know, irreplaceable really from a from a family perspective. From a competitive perspective, I think, you know, Calgary in two thousand eighteen and Tucker winning high school nationals. I me and Broad, we when he took fourth. that was pretty cool. he's not as excitable about it. so it's a little bit different. you know, his his his game's baseball, so I think the athletic stuff with him is, you know, watching four hundred foot home runs at in college stadiums is pretty sweet. Josh Rohr: Yeah. Awesome. let's see. I guess my last question is and Jen, you're kind of doing some this with social media and stuff. I've noticed you've had quite an uptick in in some of your content you're putting out. But I guess for all of you, like there's a lot of people that are on the fence or they're like, I think it'd be cool to be compete in a meet, but they're too scared or don't feel ready or whatever. What would your advice be? for people that are kinda on the fence, what what what steps can they take? What resources? is it just a matter of just go freaking do it or what would you say? Jen and Donovan: I think there's two two trains of thought. One, you know, if you're more of a planner, you should definitely go see one. Cause I think just seeing the flow and how it works w will settle your mind a little bit. Could definitely volunteer at one because we always need volunteers, right? But I you know, see a lot of people that and I've heard a lot of people say, Well, I'm not strong enough yet, I'm not strong enough yet. You just gotta go do it. I mean, there is no like right time and then if you're Cause the first one's never gonna be your best one. It's almost like a practice. You have to get in there and learn how everything flows and how you react and the timing and everything. And so if you put so much pressure on yourself that I've gotta hit this number or I need to take first place on your very first competition, odds are it's not gonna go real well. So I always think that you should just You first one you should just feel like this is my this is my trial or this is my what do you call it when you have a game before the season starts. Pre season. Pre season or scrimmage. Scrimmage. Think of it as a scrimmage. Tucker Thompson: Scrimmage, I was gonna say scrimmage. Jen and Donovan: That's what I was trying to think of. Yeah. Think of it as a scrimmage. But what you find out too is everyone at our meets are so helpful and you end up making friends and finding this community that you didn't even know about. So, I really feel like you could just sign up and go and and just do the best you can but know that you're this is your training. It's part of your training because you there's I still get I mean I've lived in over a hundred competitions. I still learn something every single time I do it. Like it's not as the learning curve isn't as huge, but every single time you learn how to do something a little bit better. So it's never gonna be perfect that first day ever. Yeah, let that sink in j a little, Josh. A hundred and thirty competitions. That doesn't mean masters and open in the same meet. That's a hundred and thirty different weigh ins and go compete. Crazy. Josh Rohr: Yeah, that's Broden: Yeah. Josh Rohr: that's quite a bit. Jen and Donovan: I wonder how much money that Broden: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: is that it was. Yeah. Good thing she had a good sponsor for me. Thanks, Way7. Josh Rohr: You d you don't wanna know. You y you probably don't want to know. Jen and Donovan: Yeah, it's you know. but like it's it's pretty it's great. And like you heard the kids talk about like the being around the other lifters and sometimes just seeing like those wicked strong people going when you're not quite there yet, but you get to see like this, these amazing lifts take place. Like, how awesome is that? just being part, just get in. Yeah, when I started, I'm like, I'm gonna qualify for Broden: Yeah. Yeah. Jen and Donovan: nationals. And my goal was if I make it to nationals, I can lift on the same platform with Wade Hooper. that was the deal. that was my weight class. I'm like, I don't care if I can get in anywhere near him, but at least I can compete on the same stage as he's competing on. And from trying to do that and making my first qualifier, then I, end up starting to win nationals and stuff, just you put if you're trying to go undefeated in powerlifting, you're not it's never gonna happen. You can't wait till you think you're gonna win. It's it's too late. And you missed out on all those learning lessons. Yeah, there's so much to Broden: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: learn in the competition, so much to learn at Meets. you know, we just took a high school girl to her first competition to qualify for for nationals, and she did great, but of course she set down a deadlift too early. on a PR and even though we practiced in the gym for weeks. Right. You know, or just they just make those mistakes. But and you know, she was she's a pretty quiet girl, but like within we got there later than her, she weighed in and stuff, and we got there for warm-ups. She already had a clan of people she was hanging out with, and she didn't know a single person, had never been in a competition in her life, whole group of people, people she was warming up with, recruited us to coach another girl whose handler didn't show up. Like it's such a community. of people that help. It it's unbelievable. Broden: Yeah, that's that's kinda what I was gonna say. At the local meets there's always a person that shows up by himself with no singlet, no belt or anything, but it you don't really have to worry about getting embarrassed just 'cause the community is so good and you can just go up and ask anyone and they'll help you out or pick you up or something like that. Josh Rohr: Yeah, for sure. And that's yeah, that's one of the things I was gonna I can't remember who was saying it, but you know, the the people that you've met too. So if you're always waiting until you can win or whatever, like first of all, that may never come. Like, you know, not everybody's gonna be a a national or world champion and that's fine, but it's a lot of it is the experience and the people you meet and making yourself better, like competing against yourself. So, you know, so You said hundred and thirty competitions, that's how many you've been to, Jen? Is that what is that what you said? It Jen and Donovan: Yeah. she competed in. Josh Rohr: can be how many you've competed in. So you were not the Jen Thompson that people know now when you started. Jen and Donovan: No. Josh Rohr: So like what if you were waiting w Yeah, well, okay. That yeah, yeah, yeah. So you were you were definitely Jen and Donovan: Yeah, she took third in the world in her second meet. Well, but I did I lost my three lifters that was but that was bench. It took a while to be a power lifter. I lost to Bettina Altizer several times before I actually won nationals. Three lift was a different game. Josh Rohr: But but I guess the the point the point I'm trying to make here is would you be the lifter you are now had you not just jumped in? I think you Jen and Donovan: No. Josh Rohr: I think there's an argument that no, you probably wouldn't be. Jen and Donovan: Absolutely at first we went to a bunch of meets because she was so nervous. She would be like diarrhea between lifts and stuff. it was terrible. Thanks so I'm like, we just have to keep Josh Rohr: Gross. Jen and Donovan: going to competitions. we have to keep going. She missed a deadlift attempt at Nationals because she was still in the bathroom. she missed her second attempt. 'cause she couldn't get back and get and get her suit back on. it bet you gotta remember in the deadlift suit days, dude, if you had to go to the bathroom, that's an issue. Yeah. Josh Rohr: That's a that's a whole project. Yeah. Jen and Donovan: Thanks for that. And so Josh Rohr: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: sometimes you gotta get in enough meets to get rid of the nerves, right? Like to to Josh Rohr: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: not have to be worried about and I would the kids both played college baseball. I would guess that powerlifting in front of a everybody and you're all by yourself on a national stage probably prepares you for the nervousness that goes with playing collegiate sports and those kind of things. So you get other advantages from it, I think. Broden: Yeah, that's kinda all I was saying. The only way you get better at performing when you're nervous is just by doing it as much as you can. Josh Rohr: Yeah, and one of the things I keep coming back to and and I tell people is I meet a lot of people that are competing that they tell me they really wish they would have started earlier. I can't think Jen and Donovan: Mm-hmm. Josh Rohr: of one person I've ever talked to that says, Man, I wish I wouldn't have started this soon So I mean there's there's that Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Right. Yeah, the only ones you hear is the ones who come back and are like, Man, I should have never stopped. Josh Rohr: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: You know, now ten years later they're picking it back up as masters or whatever and they're like, my gosh, I don't I don't even know why I quit doing this. And I mean it th the the boys can tell you, like they walk into any Arnold nationals, people know They know all the the guys, like it's just a cool place to be, even when you're not competing, they can just walk through the crowd, know people, know what they've done. It's just pretty cool to do that. And, you don't get to go play, AAU basketball and pal around with Jordan and LeBron James. But, if you go to a powerlifting meet like we just did this weekend, Jen Thompson may be in your handler. This girl's like, I don't have a coach, and Jen's like, yeah, we gotcha. She's like, but you're Jen Thompson. She's like, yeah, no problem. We got it. Warm up with us. And Josh Rohr: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: she was like She's like, I'm calling my coach, I have to tell him. Josh Rohr: So that is yeah, that is something I guess that is an interesting thing to touch on is people do put some of the top lifters like way up on a pedestal, but like really you're just you're people. Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Really strong people. Josh Rohr: You're a human y yeah, right. But but you're still just you're you're just a normal person. So I don't I get it, I I do get it, but and I Jen and Donovan: Well that's what our high school student was saying. She's like, Why are they asking me all these how do you know her? And I trained at her house. They're like, What? She's like, It's Jen. I just I lift at their house. It's like it's my dad's friends. And they I was strong and they said they would help me. And that then they're like, You're like, you have no idea what you're talking like. And to her, it's just Jen. And to everyone else, it's like, my God, look who's here. And she didn't understand it until she went to this meet. She's like, This is crazy. every between every warm-up set, someone's got to get a picture with her, you know, like, and so it is pretty cool. that our sport allows you to be with, and and I think like the big names wanna give back too, because they all started somewhere. and so they're always willing to help out. Josh Rohr: I guess we should mention y you both just competed at Bench Worlds and you're both competing on Friday at at Full Power Worlds. So this ex this episode's actually gonna come out on Friday, so it'll literally come out like while you're wh while you're lifting, yeah. So do you have any Yeah. Jen and Donovan: Right one word Lyfton. Maybe you can cut some clips into it. Josh Rohr: Just so pull it from the live stream and put it in in real time. Jen and Donovan: Yeah. Josh Rohr: if I knew how to do cool stuff like that, Probably might try it. But so what are your do have any expectations, hopes, plans for this weekend or not? Both of you? Jen and Donovan: We're trying to hold on from two weeks ago. having two worlds back to back with international travels, like every workout we've done since then is like, man, if we can just hold this strength. If I could just hold this strength. Like I don't and I and I lifted equipped, at the bench worlds and I mean, you know, like lifting a shirt takes so much out of you, like you're just cooked, man, and then Josh Rohr: Well, not the weights I lift. Jen and Donovan: Course Tucker took us over every glacier in Iceland, so we had to got our aerobic conditioning in, but Broden: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: which just crushes your strength and yeah, Broden: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: so it's just, you know, try to win, I think, is really the goal is you know, win and then if I can do something big, great. But I think it's really just make sure my numbers are that I can win. Make sure I can get my opener, be ready to change it if I need to. Yeah, we always go in with a pretty detailed plan and with attempts a b c or c depending on how you feel. Bye. look. Can I come pop in and say hi. Who can we got, Josh? Hey buddy. How are you? Josh Rohr: man, get this guy out of here. Big Jeff Snyder, what's up, man? Hey, you Broden: Jeff. Josh Rohr: are you are you're on the USA Powerlifting Podcast right now. So welcome. Jen and Donovan: Perfect. Josh Rohr: head's the the head's the Jen and Donovan: He was down training with our new high school student. Josh Rohr: head's creating a little bit of a glare though. Jen and Donovan: That's kinda that's kinda rude, Josh. Josh Rohr: I'm just kidding. That one was pretty rude. Jen and Donovan: All right. I gotta go eat. Yep. See you, Josh. I'll Josh Rohr: I take it I I take it back. I'm sorry. All right, good seeing you man. Jen and Donovan: see you guys tomorrow. But that's like a good example. You know, Jeff lived in Texas, ended up moving up here, started trading with us and you know Yeah, he's like Hey, I can I've I coached him on the world team and he's like, I can live anywhere. if I move to Charlotte, can I train with you guys? Or like, sure, you he moved here. Started training with us, trained with our boys, takes them to meets, coached little league baseball with us. Yeah, I that's what Power Three does. You meet people that you'll be friends with literally forever. Lots of long time forever. Josh Rohr: Yep. Awesome. Tucker Thompson: Yeah, he's a he's a he I guess he's alright, He's not too he's not too bad. Jen and Donovan: Ha ha ha. Josh Rohr: Yeah. Broden: Yeah. Josh Rohr: Yeah, some of some of my best friends I've met through powerlifting. So yeah, it's definitely it's Jen and Donovan: yeah. Yeah. Josh Rohr: definitely a family and pretty cool. But Jen and Donovan: Yeah, we've trained in your basement, just 'cause we're there. We're like, Hey, Josh, we need to train. You're like, Bring it. You know, I mean, you've been here and come over after meets and train and You let me throw you in the lake. That's right. Yeah. You know, and so you Josh Rohr: Yeah. Yeah. That Jen and Donovan: I mean Josh Rohr: that was ten years ago. We're ten year Jen and Donovan: Right. Josh Rohr: yeah, time flies. Jen and Donovan: Yeah, it really does. but I just I always like with the worlds of Friday, you know, it's it is a lot to come back, but you know, we have a plan and really you just you do the best that you can on that day and you hopefully put in attempts that help you assess, you know, what strength you have. And in the end, like I love it. I love competing. I love getting on the platform, I love getting hyped up. I love high fiving, the other people lifting with me. I think it is so much fun. Josh Rohr: I agree. Jen and Donovan: But if you don't have an A B C plan, if you go in with one plan to a powerlifting meet, you're gonna have a problem because it doesn't always go that way. Nine for nine, in our opinion, is you didn't try hard enough. Like you gotta have some different plans, especially if you're competing. This, you know, if you're just like I'm gonna go nine for nine and just stay at home, do your attempts, you know, it you should go try to beat somebody. even our high school student didn't really have anybody in her age and weight class. I'm like, well, here's three girls forecasted to be about what you're doing. So we're gonna try to beat them today. And you just make your own competition. I'm like, here's our three. Pay attention to We're gonna try to beat Most of us came into it because we were competitors. Yeah. so that's the fun part of it really. What is it, Josh Rohr: And and I think Jen and Donovan: Todd? Tell what's life? Tucker Thompson: Me? everything's a competition and it should be. And I funny enough, I I I try and live by that just about every single day. And I get it from all my friends. Actually, funny enough, I'm I'm plan on doing a trip and we're we're like doing this trek and we're like talking about like better parts that we would be at it like other separate from each other. I said, let the battle begin. And she was like, We're on a team. we're this I'm like, everything is a competition. I do not care. Jen and Donovan: We create a monster. Tucker Thompson: everything. My my my friends are always like, dude, you like this is not a this we're not competing. I'm yeah, yeah, we are. Yes Jen and Donovan: Ha ha Tucker Thompson: we are. I'm gonna take it serious too. Jen and Donovan: Right? Six seventeen Josh Rohr: Absolutely. Jen and Donovan: and a half, Tuck, right? Six seventeen and a half. His best total six fifteen. Mine's six seventeen and a half. Tucker Thompson: huh. Yeah, he loves that number. Yeah, he loves he loves that number. He g luck. Straight luck Josh Rohr: man. Talk. Jen and Donovan: Let's go. Tucker Thompson: and you know that. Jen and Donovan: There's no luck in competing, dude. It's called strategy. Tucker Thompson: my gosh. I look comp in comp in competition numbers, he is he is ahead. I have overall been stronger. I will die on that hill. Jen and Donovan: Doesn't count unless you do it on the platform, sorry. Broden: Yeah, go by the official record, dude. Jen and Donovan: No official record, right, Broad? That's right. Broden: Yeah. Tucker Thompson: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Josh Rohr: Yeah, as a as a non partial third party here, I gotta say if it's not if it's not in the results sheet, I can't I can't can't sign off Jen and Donovan: That's it. Josh Rohr: on it. Jen and Donovan: That's it. Gym lifts don't count. Sounds like you need to get back on the platform, Tuck. Josh Rohr: Yep. Tucker Thompson: Ha ha ha ha. Josh Rohr: So I'll I'll pencil you in for twenty twenty seven return to the platform. Maybe twenty twenty eight. Tucker Thompson: you know. that sounds that sounds more realistic. Twenty twenty eight doesn't sound like a bad bad year. Jen and Donovan: Mm-hmm. Josh Rohr: Deal. All right. Cool. Well, I think that's all I have. Does anybody else have anything they wanna BS about while while we are all here? Jen and Donovan: No, I'm good. Thanks for having us. Go ahead, Jean. Broden: Good. Tucker Thompson: I guess the last thing that I'll say. well, I guess the last thing I'll say is I don't think I don't think I really got to elaborate too much on it. For somebody who's on the fence, I think they should absolutely get into it. Just jump into it. You're gonna be you know, you're gonna have butterflies before you do your first or before you do any meet. You are gonna have those butterflies. I think it has been probably my favorite thing that I've done my my whole li I mean I I my I made my whole identity about it. I just once I did my first few meets and I started really getting into it and especially around when I was in college when I first went to play baseball or Gardner Webb I just got this fire in me and it was it's it's been the best thing that's that's I've that I've ever done in my life and I think that everybody should do at least one meet. I I've tried to get all of my friends to do at least one meet. Josh Rohr: Yep. I agree. I I like that. Tucker Thompson: And the community, and you guys like you guys have said, the community is they're the best people you'll ever meet. I've never heard anybody really put each other down. You can go up and talk to anybody. Yeah, y like it and it you it's just great. That's all I'll have to say about it. Josh Rohr: Cool. Awesome. Brody, any closing thoughts? Broden: no, I'm just thinking about what I gotta do later tonight. I'm just thinking about making sure I get nice and fueled for that lift later. Jen and Donovan: He knows he's going to do a circuit and he's miserable. It's a mental prep. Mental prep. Josh Rohr: Ha. Broden: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Josh Rohr: Awesome. Well Jen and Donovan: That's why you power lift so you don't have to do aerobic training. Broden: Exactly. Josh Rohr: so I mentioned earlier, Jen, you're doing a lot of stuff on social media. Where can people follow you guys on social media? Those of you that want to share that. Jen and Donovan: yeah, all my stuff's Jen Thompson132. and you can see a little bit of my family on there at some point, somewhere. Broden: Mm-hmm. Tucker Thompson: A little bit, a little bit, she says. Jen and Donovan: and then we have a YouTube 132 pounds of power on YouTube and and Facebook. And then I'm on TikTok also, and I have a Thompson's Gym Programs dot app if you wanna try the training that My family and I have the programs that we did with the kids when they were younger and what we're doing now. So if you're interested in what our training looks like, you can check that out. Josh Rohr: Cool. Good stuff. Jen and Donovan: Mine's easy, Jennifer Thompson's husband across all streaming apps. And it's just Josh Rohr: How do you how did you cut? Jen and Donovan: pictures of Jen sleeping and some occasional pictures of a boy playing baseball. Yeah. Josh Rohr: Yeah, I I I'll be honest, I actually pay more attention to Donovan's than I do Jen's because because of that, it's funny to me. Yeah, it it's literally i every time I just I laugh. It's it I don't know why it I don't know why it's so amusing to me. Jen and Donovan: Because you'd see pictures of me drooling sleeping. Well, he got the handle because Geno called him that. Like we were at Bench Nationals and I was coaching Donovan. And so when Donovan was up, he didn't say Donovan Thompson, he said Jennifer Thompson's husband's up next. Yeah. He didn't even get his own name. Although it's it's legit pressure. you can't go to a bench meet and screw it up if you get announced as Jennifer Thompson's husband. you have to perform. Josh Rohr: It's true. Yeah. Jen and Donovan: you don't get a choice. Broden: Mm-hmm. Jen and Donovan: I think the boys are probably like that. you go to a meet and you're a Thompson, you gotta have something. Josh Rohr: Yeah. Broden: Yeah, for sure. Jen and Donovan: So Tucker Thompson: Yeah. Bolt a hundred percent. Jen and Donovan: In a good way. Right. Broden: Yeah. Jen and Donovan: At w one of Brody's baseball games last year, one of his teammates was like, There's a famous YouTuber in the stands watching us. He's like, Dude, that's my mom. It's like no, I I follow her. She's like there. And he's like, Both can be true, dude. Josh Rohr: Yeah, they're Broden: Yeah. Josh Rohr: not mutually exclusive. Tucker Thompson: I I have a very funny take on this. I'm glad that we're we're on this point. like any time that I've like gone when I was up at App State for a little bit, and I would use like their gym or maybe I'm I just at like another gym. And like sometimes I'll get in like a conversation a conversation with like someone my age or like, you know, I ask I ask for them to spot m