Vanessa Gabriel
Senior, Coral Shores
Girls Weightlifting
“Vanessa is a very determined athlete who strives for the best in every opportunity. She takes direction well and quickly adjusts when given feedback, showing both discipline and resilience.” – Erin Hamilton, Coral Shores weightlifting coach
Coral Shores senior Vanessa Gabriel has been accumulating quite the medal collection in weightlifting this winter. Gabriel won dual district golds last month, added a pair of regional golds two weeks ago, and on Feb. 13, she picked up two state gold medals from the FHSAA 1A Championships in Lakeland. With leadership, coachability and attention to detail all being part of her character, it is no wonder that she has accomplished so much. Her coach used a Bible verse to sum up Gabriel’s heart. “Her work ethic reflects Philippians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,’ as she continually pushes herself to grow stronger,” said Erin Hamilton. For her unrelenting work ethic and amazing accomplishments at the highest level of competition, Coral Shores’ Vanessa Gabriel is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.
200: clean and jerk
185: bench press
135: snatch
2: state championships
