A St. Louis registered dietitian who has managed Type 1 diabetes since she was 10 years old just swept three gold medals at a national weightlifting event in Fort Worth — and earned an invitation to the first Olympic qualifying meet for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Ava Biesterfeld took gold in the snatch, the clean and jerk, and the overall total in the 77 kg senior women's division, lifting 100 kilograms in the snatch and 123 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a combined total of 223 kilograms.
In pounds, that works out to roughly 220 in the snatch and 271 in the clean and jerk, for a combined total near 492 pounds, according to PR Newswire. The performance came at the 2026 VIRUS Weightlifting Series 2, held September 10 to 13 in Fort Worth as part of USA Weightlifting's 2026 national competition schedule, and it was strong enough to punch her ticket to the first Olympic qualifying meet ahead of LA 2028.
For Biesterfeld, every meet involves a second competition happening underneath the barbell. She said every training session and every competition require her to manage two things at once — the barbell and her blood glucose — a balancing act she described plainly in comments carried by the same PR Newswire release. She manages blood glucose, insulin, nutrition, training, and recovery simultaneously while preparing for and competing, per that release.
Why Lifting Spikes Blood Sugar Differently Than Cardio
The physiological challenge is well documented outside her own account. High-intensity anaerobic exercise like Olympic weightlifting triggers stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that cause blood glucose levels to spike, unlike aerobic exercise, which generally lowers blood glucose, according to UCLA Health. People with Type 1 diabetes may need to adjust insulin and monitor glucose during exercise, rather than relying on the same strategies endurance athletes use.
Biesterfeld is a registered dietitian and founded Fuelworks Nutrition.
A St. Louis Story
Competing for a Plant-Based Team With a Bigger Message
Biesterfeld competes with the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team, an international squad of elite athletes competing in strength sports that aims to show world-class performance can be achieved on a plant-based diet. Susan Peters, executive director of Vegan Strong, said Biesterfeld's win challenges two assumptions at once — that diabetes must limit athletic ambition and that elite strength requires animal products — per the PR Newswire release.
The team has a track record to back that claim. At a Mr. America competition, the Vegan Strong PlantBuilt team won 55 total medals, including 48 gold medals, across multiple strength sports, according to Great Vegan Athletes. PlantBuilt promotes the possibility of high-level athletic performance on a plant-based diet.
With an invitation to the first Olympic qualifying meet for LA 2028 now secured, her next steps on the platform will be watched closely.
