Those of us who've been around Kettlebell Sport for a while have encountered the tremendous heart and generosity of its participants. Volumes of free information is made available every month through blogs, YouTubes and Facebook, not to mention nonprofit fundraising events (such as OneHour OneArm Long Cycle) and organizations with kettlebell lifting as their main format (Kettlebells 4 Autism is one).
It's like all those kids who did Jump-Rope-for-Heart grew up and became Kettlebell Sport people! Incidentally they all seem to have set up shop on the left coast of America (KB4A is Canada-based)....
The next event in charitable lifting I'd like to focus on is the BOLT for Charity event on July 25th in Santa Ana, California, raising money for the local nonprofit corporation WISEPlace Women's community and the host location Mater Dei High School. To donate, go to the Bolt for Charity page and sponsor one or more of the 6 athletes contributing their efforts to this fundraiser.
"So what the heck is BOLT?" you may be asking. It is a type of competitive kettlebell sport that focuses on giving lifters an opportunity to work at their own capacity for the competition time (10 minutes). Folks who would never hazard to enter a Kettlbell Sport competition, with its strict rules and fewer possible lifting events, feel more comfortable with the generous guidelines and wide spectrum of lifts at BOLT competitions. Thus it's a great place for new lifters to learn the classic lifts and engage in the competitive environment, and for athletes who don't want to commit to the intensity of KBSport training to stand out among their peers. Check out the home page for more info.
Due to the nice benefit-to-risk ratio for participants, BOLT is an up-and-coming kettlebell event that has affiliate organizations worldwide. The event on July 25th is the US National Championship.
Yep, Nationals! That means people will fly in from all over the country to compete! It's a big event!
The 6 athletes competing in the "Main Event" are the fundraising competitors. I encourage you to check out the page and get a load of these guys' credentials. They are not your average gym rat. These guys are gym owners, coaches and educators committed to making fitness possible to anyone willing to try. And they're donating their day to the cause.
So if you've gone to the Bolt for Charity page and totally fallen in love with a few of them (most of them are taken, so you know), you've got to decide who to sponsor. Here's where I say "follow your heart."
All of us in Kettlebell Sport know of the super star lifters, but there is one lifter out there we really identify with. Maybe it's a similar physique, seems to have the same favorite lift, wears cool shoes, whatever. That one person always has a special blip on our personal KBSport radar. I advise anyone who really wants to donate but doesn't know any of the lifters to pick out that guy who somehow resembles you and sponsor him.
Thanks for reading. I know there isn't much about technique or inner process in this post, but there is all kinds of heart. We kettlebell lifters are just individuals picking up heavy stuff over and over again, but it makes us better people and inspires others. So whenever possible we offer our efforts to those who need help. Here's another good opportunity to pay it forward.
Wishing you the best,
Christian
