Jeffrey Michael Wittmer (born September 30, 1984) in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

 is a weightlifter for the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Getting his start in his basement gym Jeff won his first 50 competitions. Jeff is featured on the cover of the book Explosive Lifting for Sports by Harvey Newton. He holds multiple national titles and records. Jeff graduated from Hazelwood West High School in 2003. After graduation he accepted an invitation to the Olympic Training Center

United States Olympic Training Center

The United States Olympic Training Centers are three campuses created by the United States Olympic Committee as training facilities for its Olympic and Paralympic athletes. They are located in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Lake Placid, New York; and Chula Vista, California. There is a U.S. Olympic...

 in Colorado Springs, CO.
At the 2006 World Championships

2006 World Weightlifting Championships

The 2006 World Weightlifting Championships were held at the Handball Pavilion and Weightlifting Pavilion Dr. José Joaquín Puello in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic...

 he ranked 26th in the 94 kg category, with a total of 338 kg.

His most notable performances include 5th place at the 2007 Pan American Games

2007 Pan American Games

The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...

 in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

.
He won a silver, and two bronze medals at the 2008 Pan American Championships

2008 Pan American Weightlifting Championships

The 2008 Pan American Weightlifting Championships were held in Callao, Peru from 19 March to 23 March 2008.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-Notes and references:*...

 in Callao

Callao

Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...

, Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

, in the 94 kg category, with a total of 347 kg.

He is known for his extreme flexibility and gutsy performances. Jeff was a favorite to make the 2 man Olympic team for the 2008 Beijing games, but fell just short at the Olympic Trials in Atlanta, GA.