Local Kansas City area weightlifters will be representing Team USA at the Maccabiah Games this summer in Israel — Samantha “Sami” Goodman, a 17-year-old incoming senior at St. Teresa’s Academy; Aiden Luther, a 22-year-old from University of Kansas/Blue Valley North High School (2021); and Zachary Lerner, 45, who will be returning to the Maccabiah Games as the coach for Team USA.

The athletes hope to bring home the gold to the Midwest. Goodman has been weightlifting since being introduced to the sport by her father at 9 years old. Luther, originally a discus thrower, got into the sport through strength training and continued after he stopped throwing. Both lifters have competed nationally and are thrilled for the opportunity on the international stage.

“Though I am mostly secular, I am still very proud of where I come from and this opportunity not only to compete on a large stage but experience the origins of my family’s heritage,” Luther said.

“What I am most looking forward to is establishing a meaningful connection with the Holy Land and forming new friendships with weightlifters from the U.S. and around the world,” Goodman said.

Though there aren’t that many other young Jewish weightlifters in the area, former teammate Dean Scicchitano, graduate of KU (2023) and Blue Valley North (2018), represented the team and medaled in 2022.

For Lerner, who has been to Israel several times, it will be an opportunity to connect with friends and lend support to the country during this complicated time.

Goodman and Luther are both excited as they head to Israel, joining the eight-member U.S.A. weightlifting team competing in the 2025 Maccabiah Games against 50-80 other weightlifters worldwide.

Luther began his Olympic weightlifting journey in 2023 and trains under the remote guidance of Stewart Young from True Strength Performance. He lifts at Barbell Strength Gym in Lawrence, Kansas.

Goodman is coached by Anna Martin of KC Weightlifting in Mission, Kansas. Martin, a decorated weightlifter and veteran coach since 2000, has guided numerous athletes to national and international success including representing Team USA in Finland in 2024. She has been Goodman’s coach since 2018. Under Martin’s mentorship, Goodman has consistently earned medals at competitions like the American Open Series and Youth Nationals.

“Sami is an incredible example of what happens when young women are given the opportunity to thrive in strength sports,” Martin said. “She brings confidence, discipline and power to the platform — qualities that will carry her far beyond the gym.”

Olympic weightlifting consists of two explosive lifts: the “snatch,” where the athlete lifts the barbell from the floor to overhead in one swift motion; and the “clean and jerk,” a lift where the barbell is first brought to the shoulders (the clean), followed by a quick jump and press that locks the bar overhead (the jerk).

“As an elite athlete who has been coached by numerous other coaches in the weightlifting industry, I believe the lift I enjoy the best is the jerk,” Goodman said. “The fast split movement is thrilling and a constant reminder of my strength. People have told me before ‘if she can clean it, she can jerk it.’”

Luther competes in the 98-kg. weight class, boasting personal bests of 128 kg. in the snatch and 145 kg. in the clean and jerk. Goodman, who competes in the 69-kg. category, has recorded competition bests of 67 kg. for snatch and 83 kg. for clean and jerk.

The Maccabiah Games are held every four years in Israel (due to the pandemic, it has been three years this time). According to Maccabi USA, Team USA will compete in 40 sports at the international gathering, which draws more than 10,000 athletes from 50 countries. All athletes must be Jewish, but just what that means differs from country to country. The U.S. team accepts Jews by choice and Jews by birth, which it defines as having one Jewish birth or adoptive parent, identifying as Jewish and not being a member of another religion.

Goodman and Luther are both from mixed-faith backgrounds with a Jewish father and Catholic mother. Luther’s father, Jeff Luther of Elmira, New York, is Jewish, and his mother, Christine Meehan of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is Catholic. Goodman’s father, Mike Goodman of San Francisco, California, is Jewish, and her mother, Serra (Cox) Goodman of the Kansas City area, is Catholic. Both have been raised with an appreciation and observance of both cultures and holidays.

“Being raised in a mixed family, I have learned a lot about both faiths, but being able to feel connected with them on a personal level makes me proud of who I am and how I practice in my everyday life,” Goodman said. “[I’m] thankful to have the support from my Catholic school and Catholic side of the family and also have the undying support from my Jewish side as well. My family loves to bring our friends together to celebrate our Jewish culture together. Not only do we spend time with friends, but we share traditions, food and songs with them.”

Luther credits his grandmother for his pride in being Jewish.

“I am proud to be Jewish, regardless of what the outside world says,” he said. “[My grandmother] has always been a selfless person that has treated others with respect and constantly does charity work through her synagogue. I hope to be as impactful as she has been one day.”

To participate, Goodman and her family had to raise close to $10,000 to contribute toward food, lodging, travel and team expenses. Goodman, along with her parents, fundraised through friends and family selling “Team Sami” t-shirts, hosting a weightlifting meet and a Bingo event. The Maccabiah Games offered some scholarships as well. Luther received donations from family to contribute to the expenses.

Goodman is a member of the Leaders for Tomorrow (LFT) program through the Jewish Community Relations Bureau | American Jewish Committee and has committed herself to combating antisemitism, especially in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas. She hopes to gain a better understanding of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Recently, she participated in the LFT Advocacy Summit, lobbying delegations on Capitol Hill about the dangers of antisemitism and exploring Washington, D.C., and its landmarks.

“It’s very fitting that the theme of this year’s Maccabiah is ‘now more than ever,’” Goodman said. “Since Oct. 7, we are obligated to act and to speak out against antisemitism. I think, being in LFT, I have learned how to use my voice for the greater good and will continue to use it in the best way possible. I am more able to stand up for what I believe in now thanks to the tools I received from LFT.”

Both athletes are determined to win, excited to represent their gym, their coach and city on the international stage and excited to participate and to represent the sport while meeting other Jewish athletes.

Goodman will come back to Kansas City to begin senior year of high school. She hopes to continue weightlifting in college, currently looking at a number of different schools with weightlifting programs, including Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Luther will graduate KU next spring with a degree in mechanical engineering.

Additional athletes from Kansas City attending the Maccabiah Games include Nuriel Shimoni-Stoli (track and field) and Zachary Bloch (basketball).