Bellin’ with the Governator
With over 160,000 attendees and 18,000 athletes at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio, the Arnold Sports Festival is the single largest sport and fitness expo in the country. This year’s inauguration of its Kettlebell Sport Championship was also the largest KB competition in the U.S. to date.
In true ICKB Girls’ fashion, our team represented by bringing home national championship titles!
Bear Bear – Gold Medal: Women’s Pro Biathlon
Maya – Gold Medal: Women’s Pro Long Cycle
Surya – Silver Medal: Women’s Pro Biathlon
Jess – Bronze Medal: Women’s Pro Biathlon
(unfortunately Heidy could not be with us due to injury).
This was the most jam packed and insane event ever. It lasted almost 12 hours; we were even visited by Arnold (yes, our governor). We couldn’t have done this without Doug and Rylee Reeves, who flew out to support us. And of course, thanks to the WKC/AKC, IKFF, and NAKF for making this happen for everyone.
A special shout out to our IC family for keeping us on our toes!
Best,
Steven
More highlights:
The ICKB Girls medal with Absolute Biathlon Champion Cate Imes.
Arnold visits the KB Competition.
Jess delighted with her new PR in the 16kg Jerk.
Some of the men of the Pro Biathlon Division.
The West Coast Avengers, Maya and Bonnie, in the Women’s Pro Long Cycle. Bonnie also set a new competition record in the 16kg LC with 153 reps!
It’s tough to keep pace with the Champ! Surya holds her own next to Cate Imes.
Some action from the Men’s Amateur Long Cycle Division.
Sara at her best – sets a new PR in the 16kg Jerk.
 
Juniors in action.                         Steve Cotter steps on the platform.
Last men standing: Andrew and C-Duff.
Words of advice before the competition begins.
Thanks to Jess’ valiant efforts, her set was one of the most exciting to watch.
Kukka came all the way from Finland to compete. John Wild Buckley and Dougie, according to Steve Cotter, are handsome fellas.
Slide Show
Check out Maya and Bonnie in the Women’s Pro Long Cycle
Woohoo!! Congratulations!!! You have trained so hard and we are so proud of your accomplishments!
Bear bear, hope you are enjoying those girl scout cookies. You sure deserve the sugar
Hey, Congrats!! I’ve been waiting for an update. Awesome job, ladies! Hope you’ll get to rest a bit now, at least for a day or two, before picking up the bells again.
whoooooooohoooooooeeeee!!!!!
congrats to all!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I am so proud of you all.
Reports from Rylee and Douglas were that you guys were FANTASTIC, and they had a wonderful time supporting you.
I can’t wait to have my family back home!
Safe travels to you!
Amazing! IC KB team rocks! Congratulations on putting it all together and on the line-well deserved rewards!
Doug and Rylee, what a great support team.
Ok, things are a bit surreal at moment. Drinking wine with Steve and Maya stuck at the Columbus aitport. My daughter is at the gate with the kettlebell women with the flight out on hold due to the snowstorm in Chicago.
Most people are probably more interested in the comment about Steve drinking wine. I have not actually seen him drink yet. He or Maya keep pouring it in my glass. Not sure what it all means except that Rylee and I miss Susan and are not sure exactly when we will see her.
The competition was amazing and overwhelming. Our women were amazing in what they all accomplished and how they handled all the moments — some difficult. It was wonderful to be with them and share in it all. I have a new appreciation of events that I did not normally watch and the passion and heart that competitors bring to them — as we were sandwiched in between two boxing/MMA rings. And Rylee was especially intrigued standing below the ring as people were fighting overhead.
Wow! I am so proud of you all! Maybe next time I could come as the official team photographer! : )
Great job all of you!!!
Congratulations to you all – way to go, now REST!!!
sooooooooo happy to hear the amazing news. Gold, silver, AND bronze, in the NATION? Come on, I can’t even wrap my head around how you must feel as individuals and as a team, and around how cool it is to work out side by side w/ you all. Congrats to everyone, is there a word bigger than congrats? And thanx for blogging while you aren’t even home yet; I know many have been waiting to hear the news.
Awe-inspiring, Women! I am speechless (which says a lot for me).
congrats awesome IC bellin’ mamas!!!!
I’m very proud of the girls. They all did great! Most importantly they all had excellent form, except Jessica’s last 20 reps which she pulled out of nowhere! They were ugly, but they were brilliant. The last 20 reps was the most exciting thing to watch. She did not give up! She broke an important mental barrier, and it was awesome! There is something to be said about good form because AKC is about having good technique and form. Not everyone there was following AKC rules, but at least the IC girls were. In a normal AKC event, I think there would have been either some disqualifications, or a huge loss in numbers. It seemed like it was just too chaotic to enforce everything. Cate did great, as always! Maya, Vanessa, and I were next to each other on the platform. It was helpful for me to have them next to me because I was getting anxiety. It was so exciting.
Whether the girls hit their goal or not they brought good attitudes and good technique! This was the funnest event for me yet. It wouldn’t have been the same without them. I’m glad to have such great KB friends! Us girls had a blast. We all were wearing knee high, funky socks! I think Cate was the only one who wore THE socks in the competition (even though she pulled them down half way!) It was just such a blast, I encourage everyone to try a competition out! I hope they have this event next year because I’m going! Luckily, I left at 6:40am into Minneapolis so I missed the snow storm. I hope the get home soon!
Rylee was so cute and well behaved! I think it’s awesome that she cam with her dad, Doug, all the way to Ohio to support the team! She had rad socks on, too! Great style!
Heidi, I missed you! Hopefully I will see you at the worlds!
I could say so much more, but I will leave it to your coaches to fill in the details! Thanks to Lorraine and everyone else for keeping the madness together!
Congratulations! That’s just so wonderful to perform so well under so much pressure.
Fantastic athletes. Stellar coaches. WOW!
Les
That is too cool. Congratulations! You ladies rock.
It’s cool to have such greatness in our midst.
Nice write up. I’m glad someone got a pic of me in the socks. Is it ok for me to copy the photos and add them to Facebook? Wanted to get permission and all
Oh, and everyone did Great. I’m very proud at the technique displayed by your lifters!!!
By all means Cate, please do. Thank you for your coaching, support, and above all being the consummate professional that you are. The development of our team, as well as this sport is a reflection of the time and energy you’ve contributed. The fact that the Arnold Kettlebell Championships even exists is due in large to the roadwork you and the forerunners (Lorraine, Matt, Ken, Steve, Valery, Eric, Marty, etc.) have paved. Our entire team is sincerely grateful!
congrats to the entire IC KB team! I am just so proud of all of you and feel blessed to share the IC with such complete athletes!
Way to go team!! This is awesome. Congrats on all of the PRs. Looking forward to seeing you all on my box of Wheaties.
WOW! you guys are awesome! congratulations!
Very interesting article…
Steven, thank you for link
Congratulations IC women, you rock!
I’m impressed and inspired. Congratulations.
First off, our team would not have been able to travel to the Arnold Sports Festival without the generosity of our sponsors: Athleta, the one and only Mike Mahler, and the wonderful people of the Ice Chamber. Thank you for believing in us and for making this possible for us in this economy. We are beyond grateful for your magnanimous support.
Secondly, we would like to thank the KB Greats of the WKC/AKC, IKFF, and the NAKF. You guys are true kettlebell heroes because most of your hard work is behind the scenes and out of the spotlight. What is Kettlebell Sport in this country without you all?
Third, we have to thank our competition guardian angels, Dougie and Rylee, for your support in the form of hugs, encouragement, water, luggage storage, car rides, love, and also for being our critical sounding boards during our frustrating moments. You two are the best.
Bonnie, you are right about so many of your observations, including the tough position the judges are put in to enforce everything involved, particularly when everyone wants the lifters to have a great time. I hope the lesson learned is that you can still have a great time with solid technique! Mastering the art of GS can be a pain in the ass, but it matters most in my book. The other thing you are spot on about is Jessica’s performance–her snatch lockouts were beautiful, but I think what I was most impressed by was the tremendous heart she displayed during both sets. Jess hit two PRs on Saturday. The same should be said about Sara and Surya’s jerks… those were definitely some snappy balloons ladies! (Dr. Liao would have been proud to see those.)
Also Bonnie, your generous spirit socks were another one of the many highlights of the day. Thank you for bringing so much fun and genuine support to so many other lifters moving up the ranks behind you. You’re a precious jewel, but I still cannot understand your anxiety. Who the hell were you competing against? LOL! The Guinness Book of World Records perhaps.
It was incredible to witness all the great coaches in the house too: Valery, Cate, Marty, Kevin & Kona, Bonster Mullaney, Steve Cotter, Ken Blackburn, C-Duff, Jason Dolby, John Wild Buckley, Ken Black, Ross Gilling, Mike Sherman, Bob Budai, Terry Parker, Johanna Funk, Liberty Gray, Tracey Maurice, Mike Stefano, and of course the one and only Steve K. I salute you awesome educators! It was pretty cool to finally meet US Master of Sport, Ashley Hughes, too.
Lastly, I want to give a special shout-out to P-Hump because his performance was the most profound for me. His mother passed away two weeks ago and he stepped up on the platform like a champ. I think it’s also important to note a lifters’ character off the platform because it says a lot about the heart they bring to the sport… P-Hump trains by himself while continuing to raise his two teenage nephews. How many of us would do the same?
We were thinking of you this past weekend. Your dedication is inspirational to all of us. We are so blessed to have you at our gym.
Great job ladies! You are all inspiring.
The ICKB team continues to rock!!! Great job everyone!
What a great time!!
You guys are the best!! I can’t imagine what an event without you would be like.. Heidy, you were missed and I know it killed you to not be there.. Heal up and you will be back better than ever !! Maya, Surya, Bear and Jess… You put on a CLINIC !!
I feel like we are somehow related after all this..
Stay Tuned…. more to come….
C-Duff
Congratulations to everyone!
This whole weekend was surreal!! I feel so lucky to be part of such a positive community. Thanks you for all of your support IC family- my day is never complete until I have the opportunity to train with and learn from each of you.
Thanks also to all my fellow competitors who always present themselves with such class and respect! CDuff -we are family!! I have to thank Bonnie and Catherine both MS ladies for being such amazing role models. They are positive, encouraging, supportive and inspiring! Bonnie shouted out words of encouragement, shared her rockin socks with us, fed us and kept us company in those nervous moments.A special thanks to Catherine for being so gracious. I was more than a little nervous to step on the platform next to her-ultimately though it was an honor. It was fun to try and keep up! ( I do mean try)
Thanks to P-Hump for knowing just the right thing to say just when I needed to hear it the most. Our hearts are with you.
Thank you to our dedicated coaches Steve and Maya! I am continually thankful for your dedication to technique and form-OTW!!! I am honored to represent the IC. Thanks you for seeing in my the potential which I cannot always see for myself.
Rylee and Doug you were the most amazing support team. Your were our anchor this weekend-thank you, thank you, thank you. I also cannot sign-off without sharing with everyone about what a phenomenal dad Doug is. I was continually touched and inspired by how present Doug was to Rylee during the chaos of this huge event. He gave her unconditional love, freedom to experience her independence ( under his watchful eye), patience with her well deserved fatigue at the end of each 12 plus hour day, anticipated her every need, and authentically enjoyed each moment with her. Rylee is very blessed to have such a wonderful dad. Rylee is a one mature, patient, lovely, smart, fun and positive kid. Thanks for all your encouragement Rylee!!
Final thanks to Athleta, Mike Mahler, and each one of you who generously donated to the ICKB travel fund-we would not be have made it to Ohio without you.
Congratulations to you all! I wish one of these events were closer to SF so we could all come out and support you in person! The YouTube video is great – Bonnie is like the Energizer Bunny. Amazing. On a lighter note, is that Arnold saying “Good Girl” repeatedly during the video? I hope you all won’t be too old when Kettlebell becomes an Olympic sport…
One of the funniest images above is the one of Surya and Cate on the platform. Not because of them, but because of how Jason and Ken look in the background! Are they having a great time or what?
Thank you for all the kind words and shout outs. The best parts of this event for me were the conversations I had with Maya, Bear, Jessica and Surya! Have a sucky snatch day? Who cares as long as the convo is tight! Thanks to all of you for listening as I rambled on. As always, your performances on the platform speak volumes on the type of people you are. Keep rocking PRs and continuing to raise the bar for all kettlebell lifters. Steve, you’re ok to.
You guys are absolutely incredible and most inspiring!!!! Congratulations!!
Maya,
I LMAO at that photo because 1. the socks and 2. Ken and Jason waving to God knows who!
I can’t think of anything to say that hasn’t already been said.
We’re all so proud of you, we’re thrilled that we have been part of this journey with you, and we can’t wait for your next challenge!
Congrats, ladies! What an awesome showing!
Surya,
Thank you for your sweet words. I genuinely felt like I stumbled on a wonderful time spent with you, Jessica, Sara and my daughter over the 2 + days. Rylee is so enamored with each of you and for good reason. Thank you each for the genuine love and care you showed her. You all gave her a needed connection, while Susan could not be there.
And thank you all for teaching me to appreciate Applebee’s much less to enjoy waiting 40 minutes for a table. It’s all about the company! I look forward to hopefully joining you in competition and experiencing all that pain and joy.
EACH of your performances was a joy to experience. You women are my role models! Thanks for letting me participate.
Steve and Maya — you guys created this community. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Maya, your constant love and attention to Rylee goes without saying.
Heidy,
You were greatly missed! You were there in spirit and discussed with great affection and admiration. You too are an integral part of Rylee’s (and our) community.
I love the stories, photos and video. Congratulations to you all. It looked like an amazing experience. I am in awe of the amount of reps Bonnie did.
That video is amazing! Bonnie is like an F16 on an aircraft carrier practicing their touch and goes- smooth, fast, precise- all just like the one before! (my Dad was an AF pilot)
Shows me how great she and Maya (and the rest of the KB team) are and how very mortal I am
AMAZING is all I can say!! The whole experience was incredible…i feel so fortunate to be a part of this team and incredible community!
Special thanks to Maya and Steve for being incredible coaches, friends and teammates…(maya i love my necklace it is a reminder to always bring heart into everything you do and when you do you will never fail)….
thanks to Surya & Bear for also being awesome teammates & friends (surya i hope you know how beautiful you looked in your new athleta tank)
Bonnie and Cate thanks for being a constant driving inspiration to IC KB girls
(Thanks again Bonnie for the pep talks, socks and constant reminders to HAVE FUN throughout the meet and for all the encouragement during my snatch set!!!! i really needed it)
Dougie and Rylee you are two very special people we are so FORTUNATE to have had you on the trip thanks is simply not enough (Rylee thank you again for our beautiful kettlebell cards)
P-Hump and C-Duff looking forward to your next visit to CA!!
BIG thanks to WKC/AKC, IKFF and NAKF for all of your hard work we are so grateful
Thanks again to our very generous sponsors Athleta, Mike Mahler and all the incredible people that make up the Ice Chamber Family we could not have done it without you!!!
Beautiful and strong, emotionally, physically and mentally! You are all an inspiration and I so proud to know you!
I must agree with Surya that this weekend was so surreal- it all felt like a strange but really good dream. Steve did warn us that this event was going to be the craziest meet we will ever compete in but for some reason we really could grasp the magnitude of what was to come. At one point in the middle of my snatch set I looked up and found myself watching two little girls- probably Rylee’s age competiting in the boxing ring and then I could hear Steve’s voice in my head saying focus. Yikes if that isn’t crazy I don’t know what is!
Doug and Rylee are the best. Words can’t express enough how thankful we were to have you on this trip and how amazing you both are. Susan big thanks for sharing them with us. Does that make you our offical roadies now??
This weekend was full of laughter, tears, dropped bells, and lots of hunger pains but it is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
Steve and Maya your coaching is very powerful and this weekend was a direct reflection of that so thank you.
Thank you IC family for all the wonderful support and to all the contributers of the ICKB fund.
What a great time! The whole show was great and the Ice Chamber crew held it down! You guys rock!
You guys continue to awe and inspire me! Thanks for sharing your all of your moments! Amazing Feats, Ladies. You just get up up there and do that s*%t! Congratulations!
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just saw this today and I’m SO excited for all of you!!! Go ICKB Girls!!!!! Yippeeeeeee Wooooo hooooooo!!!! So proud of you!!!!! Yay!!!!!
So much admiration for you all! You continue to raise the bar and then clear it by a mile. I think there’s something to be said for all that extra heart you have…way to GO!
Whoo Hoo – you all are awesome!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Seeing the photos and watching the video are inspiring but then you read your individual comments about your experiences and it brings it to a whole new level – no wonder why you are all so successful! You are all incredibly special people and I feel honored to know you – THANK YOU!
This event was incredible. So many people and so many athletes from all sports were watching the kettlebell competition. The stadium was PACKED. The interest level from folks walking by the AKC booth sky rocketed for sure. Everyone wanted to touch a kettlebell. This sport is taking off no doubt.
After 14 hours of travel time back to SFO (between airports, canceled flights, delays, closed bridge, etc.), I am finally wrapping my head around the significance of this event. I feel very grateful to have such a loving team of people at the IC supporting what we do. Everyone in bootcamp, core, PT, etc. has expressed such positivity and love.. incredible feeling to say the least.
The team of Jess, Maya, Bear, Surya, and Heidi is simply top notch. You can’t ask for a better group of individuals. Beyond the athleticism, they are all wonderful human beings who bring out the best in me and each other, on and off the platform. My job is a true blessing.
I’d also like to give a shout out to all of our kettlebell students. You all are the next generation of great lifters coming out of the IC. I am in awe of how fast you’ve all have progressed. I am learning from you everyday. It’s an honor.
Great post and wonderful pics Steven!
It was wonderful seeing you guys again and and watching you lift (with impeccable technique as usual). Congrats to all the girls on you’re amazing performances.
Sara, I was especially impressed with your Jerk, excellent use of the body torque! You actually started to remind me of a female Marty Farrell (though far better looking!). You’ll be hitting MS numbers soon for sure.
Jess, you showed some serious determination, you’re snatch was definitely the most exciting lift of the day! Congrats on your PR, I have no doubt your going to do great things in the future!
Surya, you looked really strong this weekend and continue to improve every time I see you. Keep working hard and your numbers will continue to increase, sky’s the limit!
Maya, what can I say. You’re just a class act! The perfect combination of power, finesse and technique, you’re an ANIMAL!
Steven and Maya, you are wonderful coaches, it shines through in how you’re athletes perform and the team unity you display, you should be very proud!
What an awesome weekend and a wonderful advertisement for the sport of kettlebell lifting! The sport goes from strength to strength and its wonderful to see this unique and diverse community of people that its bringing together. I feel honored to be a part of it.
Sorry we didn’t make it to dinner with you guys, but we were just toast!
Hope to see you all soon!
cheers,
Ross Gilling
Looks like a great weekend and outstanding event! Very impressive work by the IC team and was also happy to hear how well my good friends Jason Dolby, Ayame, and Steve Cotter did. Great stuff!
you girls are amazing! congratulations!!
I’m just making it to the blog and want to add my congratulations and kudos and jaw drops — Bonnie, you were CRANKIN’ IT! You WOMEN (let’s quit with the ‘girls’ thing!) are GORGEOUS! What did JFK say? “Happiness is the full use of your powers in the pursuit of excellence.” (Actually, I think that came from ancient Greece — which is fitting considering Maya’s current location on the planet.) You must be very happy.