Connection + Community

The process of learning about self care and self development is inherently a solo one, but it is a difficult process to undertake alone. It takes a whole community of like-minded people working together to create a space for each individual to explore what it means to be all of who they really are. 

Looking around you to see friends, teammates, and peers who are working through a similar yet unique experience is reassuring and inspiring. A special form of connection, a deep trust and appreciation, forms between the people who show up and allow themselves to be seen, to be vulnerable in their journey of self discovery. 

In the photo below, the 10 am crew shares a moment of rest and reflection between sets. Their positive camaraderie, mutual support for each other, and genuine interest in each other's lives feels like the kind of welcoming community anyone would want to be a part of. Through training alongside each other week after week, these women have developed a unique connection and friendship - an authentic, loving, empowering kind of friendship.

Meet Recap: Industrious Fall Classic, October 2017

The Fulcrum Barbell team took it's largest contingent to date to the Industrious Fall Classic on October 21, 2017. Some were first time competitors, looking to challenge themselves by participating in an Olympic weightlifting meet. Others are experienced athletes competing with the goal of qualifying for a national event. All twelve athletes had an exciting learning experience and the day was a great celebration of months of hard work. 

Industrious consistently hosts a smooth and organized meet, with commitment to details and plenty of staff on hand. It was wonderful to see members of the Fulcrum Training Hall community at the meet supporting the team, providing words of encouragement, snacks, helping hands, and good vibes. We are grateful to be connected to so many positive and strong people!

Akansha, Donna, Giannina, and Liz all competed for the first time over the weekend. The day was a wonderful celebration of how hard these women have been working to prepare for the new and unfamiliar experience of an Olympic weightlifting competition. It has been fun to follow each athlete's progress, and there is so much more to come!

Rachel had an incredible meet on many fronts. Not only did she persevere through the intensity of a tough training cycle, push her opening attempts from her last competition, and make five out of six lifts, she also posted a qualifying total for December's American Open, one of two national meets held each year by USA Weightlifting. Her best lifts were 58 kgs (127 lbs) in the snatch and 71 kgs (156 lbs) in the clean and jerk, for a total of 129 - enough to be invited to compete as a 48 kg lifter at the AO. This has been a goal of Rachel's for a long time. Her dedication to her training is coming together, and we are excited to support Rachel in whatever she chooses to direct her talents towards next! 

Burrows and Skinner each went into this meet with the intention of gaining platform experience and improving upon their last competition lifts. Burrows opened higher in both the snatch and clean and jerk by several kilograms than her last meet with Fulcrum Barbell. Between owning a small business, working to be accepted into the fire academy, and training for this meet, Burrows has had a very busy schedule, but came through with a great performance on meet day. Skinner finished with a competition PR in the snatch at 63 kgs (138 lbs). She has been working diligently to refine the technical aspects of her movements and the attention to detail came together nicely out on the platform. 

With Burrows preparing for the fire academy, and Skinner looking ahead to the next competition cycle, both have jumped right back into training this week. These two have big things ahead of them, and we are grateful to have them as part of the Fulcrum Training Hall community!

Hope went into this meet with the goal of qualifying for the American Open. She had a clutch performance in the snatch, bravely hanging on to her second attempt and smashing a personal best at 75 kgs (165 lbs) on the third attempt. Her 83 kg (182 lb) opener on the clean and jerk solidified the total she needed to qualify for the national meet. Nearly three years of hard work culminated in this performance, and we are thrilled to be supporting Hope in to the next phase of her weightlifting career. She also placed third overall in the meet!

Cat headed into competition looking very strong and snappy. After three beautiful attempts in the snatch, she came back for a great showing in the clean and jerks, her best being 100 kgs (220 lbs). Just as impressive as the 100 kg clean and jerk - Cat's mental fortitude through the intensity of the competition experience. Strong work Cat!

Meaghan had a wild ride on meet day - after a solid performance in the snatch, making her opener and third attempt, she fought through severe cramping in her left leg to take the platform for clean and jerks. She was successful with her 70 kg (154 lbs) opener, meaning she totaled in her first meet - a huge accomplishment for a first time competitor. 

These three worked relentlessly to prepare for meet day, always bringing a fierce and focused energy in to their training. It will be exciting to see how Hope handles the jump to national level competition, how Cat continues to up her mental game, and how Meaghan continues to refine her skills as a weightlifter. 

In the very last session of a very long day, our lone male athletes competed in a varied field of lifters. Stamm, in his second meet with Fulcrum Barbell, gained great platform experience and had a consistent, solid performance. His best lifts were 95 kgs (209 lbs) in the snatch, which matches his competition PR, and 114 (250 lbs) in the clean and jerk. Weightlifting in a competitive sense will take the back burner for now while Stamm shifts his focus to the upcoming snowboarding season. 

A tremendous amount of effort went into preparing all twelve lifters for this meet. It takes not only physical strength and technical proficiency, but also huge mental and emotional resolve to train as a competitive athlete. Regardless of the lifts made or missed on meet day, everyone succeeded by simply choosing to show up. What a gift to be a part of a community that supports such a monumental celebration of self discovery for so many!

True Competition

       The root word of “competition” is a Latin word meaning “to strive for” and a preposition meaning “with”. In the words of Joe Ehrmann, “Competition therefore is not defined by winning or losing, but by the degree to which all competitors realize their fullest potential. True competition is a mutual quest for excellence”. In this context, we never work against our competitors, or look to conquer or depose someone else. We strive towards excellence in conjunction with, and because of, our competitors. Competition is a wonderful opportunity to work with others - your coaches, your teammates, your opponents - to learn, develop, and grow into the best possible version of yourself.