It will be a busy year for the Nanaimo Kettlebell Club. They will host the 2024 Western Canadian Championships on March 30th and also their own yearly event this fall called the Grip Strength Invitational. (Nanaimo Kettlebell Club)

By Dan Marshall

Getting a Lift

Nanaimo Kettlebell Club to host Western Canadian Championships

Mar 30, 2024 | 6:32 AM

NANAIMO — The Nanaimo Kettlebell Club is hosting a major lifting event on March 30.

Organizer Solmon Macys said nearly 50 athletes will be at the Coast Bastion Hotel for the Western Canadian Championships.

“We have a number from the United States, largely from Seattle. There’s going to be about a dozen virtual lifters who will have lifts on Zoom and they’ll be judged through Zoom. The remainder of our athletes will be lifting in person.”

Several local lifters will be attending but Macys said the Nanaimo group is focused on their own goals rather than going after a spot on Team Canada.

“We have sent about as many as 13-15 to competitions before at one time. Right now things have been a little bit more sporadic. This year there will be about 10-12 members from Nanaimo. A lot of our lifters aren’t at a stage where they’re ready to try out for Team Canada.”

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Those athletes who do qualify for Team Canada will be eligible for the world championships in Poland in June.

“We need to make sure we get our team selected based on our athletes performances in a certain time frame,” Macys said. “That’s the important reason we get it in now. Because of that it incentivizes Canadians to come to our competition. People want to get in their sets when they can and qualify if they can.”

Macys plans to have three platforms set up at the Coast Bastion for a full day of lifting from approximately 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 30.

There will be an area set aside for spectators as well.

The Western Canadian Championships are in addition to Nanaimo’s own yearly event which Macys and his partner Rachel Robertson also organize.

With the Grip Strength Invitational coming in the fall Macys said he’s not focused on competitive lifting at the moment but he may put in a video submission.

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