Veronika Russell

Disc Golf Teaches What Strength Doesn’t

Veronika Russell, utility player for Atlanta Wild, carries the contradiction of someone who loves numbers and also loves freedom. The numbers: 325 pound back squat, 375 pound deadlift, a 1:51 Grace time (that’s a benchmark involving 30 clean and jerks at 135 pounds). The freedom: disc golf, a sport that takes you into nature and demands precision through variables no barbell can simulate.

At 5’4″ and 165 pounds, Russell sits in that valuable middle zone where she can move serious weight but also handle the gymnastics and running that the Grid demands. The deadlift edge over the back squat (375 to 325) points toward someone comfortable pulling. The Grace time suggests efficiency under load.

Disc golf isn’t just a hobby that athletes dabble in. It’s a game built on angles, spacing, and reading the environment. The fact that Russell keeps it central to her identity says something about how she approaches the Grid: not as a pure strength endeavor, but as something that demands presence, field awareness, and the ability to adjust on the fly.