Zoe Smith: podcast appearances and interviews

Zoe Smith, born on 26 April 1994, is an English weightlifter and the founder and CEO of BE School. She began weightlifting at the age of 12 after initially training as a gymnast. Smith represented her borough at the London Youth Games and achieved notable success early in her career. Her first major international achievement came at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where she won a bronze medal in the women's 58 kg division. This marked her as the first English woman to win a Commonwealth Games weightlifting medal. Smith competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, finishing 12th in the women's 58 kg category. She missed the 2016 Summer Olympics due to an injury but returned to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics, finishing eighth in the 59 kg division. In 2023, she won gold in clean and jerk and bronze in the total category at the European Weightlifting Championships in the 64 kg class. Despite her achievements, she did not qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Smith's career faced challenges, including a shoulder injury, the cessation of centralized UK weightlifting funding, and loss of sponsorship, which led her to move back with her parents and work as a barista. She coaches at a gym in East London and is involved in initiatives beyond her athletic career.