The sixth annual Grip Strength Kettlebell Competition is an opportunity for athletes to meet their goals and celebrate participation in the sport. (Nanaimo Kettlebell Club)

By Dan Marshall

Getting a Lift

Annual Nanaimo kettlebell competition enters a sixth year

Oct 1, 2022 | 5:57 AM

NANAIMO — The Grip Strength Kettlebell Competition is growing in numbers and in stature.

With 29 athletes set to step on the platform at the Coast Bastion Hotel on Oct. 1 the 2022 version of the event will be the largest yet.

“It’s going to be our sixth annual event,” explained lifter and co-organizer Rachel Robertson. “We’ve got lifters from Nanaimo, Victoria and the Okanagan. There’s also competitors on Zoom from Ontario and Everett, Washington.”

The Nanaimo competition is part of the International Kettlebell Organization’s World League which allows the athletes to see how they stack up against international lifters from over 200 other clubs.

Solomon Macys who is also a lifter and co-organizer of Grip Strength said both individuals and clubs are ranked.

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“You get to have an idea of where you stand among other clubs in the world. The Nanaimo Kettlebell Club has generally placed in the top ten world wide in the last couple of years.”

Robertson noted the ranking system gives elite athletes a true measure of how they stack up.

“It gives people who may not be able to travel an idea where they fall. They may hit a certain number and see where they are against other lifters and it may encourage them to reach a certain goal.”

The Grip Strength Kettlebell Competition is open to recreational and elite lifters and is a mainly regional event.

Robertson said it’s also a chance to recognize hours of training put in by the members of the Nanaimo Club specifically.

“It’s very meaningful to us to celebrate our lifters and the hard work that they put in. We have a barbecue afterwards to celebrate what they did on the day but also their participation in the club.”

Spectators are welcome to come to the Coast Bastion between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Oct. 1 to cheer on the lifters or learn more about the sport.

There will also be a live stream on the Nanaimo Kettlebell Club YouTube channel.

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