Wewa sophomore lifts her way to world stage
Wewahitchka High School sophomore McKenzie Hatcher is no stranger to the spotlight, or the podium.
A dedicated member of the Lady Gator weightlifting team since the seventh grade, Hatcher has spent the last four years building an impressive resume, both on the state level and national stage. With 50 medals to her name, her journey has now taken her across international borders.
Most recently, she earned a coveted spot on Team USA for the 2025 Youth World Championships, set to take place in Lima, Peru. She will travel this coming week alongside her coach, Aaron Paille, and family to represent the United States in a sport she has grown to dominate.
Her path to the world stage has been marked by perseverance and consistent excellence. Hatcher has made four consecutive appearances at the Florida High School State Championships, medaling at three of them. In 2025, she struck gold, twice, winning both Olympic and Traditional events in the 154-pound weight class.
Her talent extends far beyond the high school gym. In 2023, she made her debut at the USA Weightlifting (USAW) Youth Nationals in Colorado Springs, where she brought home bronze in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total. One year later, she traveled to Pittsburgh for the 2024 USAW Youth Nationals, capturing silver in the snatch, and bronze in both the clean and jerk and overall total. That total earned her a spot on Team USA’s Youth Pan American Team.
In August 2024, she and Paille traveled to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where she proudly represented the United States at the Pan American Championships. She continued to build momentum at the USAW American Open Finals in Tucson, Arizona in December, where her performance officially secured her place on Team USA for the 2025 Youth World Championships.
Hatcher was recently honored as the Florida Dairy Farmers 2025 Class 1A Girls’ Weightlifter of the Year, a testament to her exceptional performance and dedication to the sport. Her coach Bobby Johns was named the Class 1A Coach of the Year.
None of this would be possible without the dedication and support of the coaches who have shaped her journey. McKenzie and her family extend heartfelt thanks to Johns, Paille, David Peavy, Debra Ake, Adria Peaden, Gene Rollins, Adam Edwards, and Joey Paladino, each of whom has played a valuable role in her growth, both as an athlete and as a young woman.
At just 16 years old, Hatcher has already proven herself as a powerhouse in the world of Olympic weightlifting. Her determination, grit, and humble spirit have earned her the respect of coaches, teammates, and competitors alike.
Wewahitchka may be a small town, but its pride for Hatcher is larger than life. As she prepares to step onto the platform in Lima, she does so not only as a competitor but as an inspiration to young athletes across the Panhandle, and beyond.
Go lift the world, McKenzie. We’re all cheering for you.
Jade Davis is an Education/Disabilities Specialist at Wewahitchka High School.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.