Half a year has elapsed since my last blog post, and the reasons are full time University studies, helping in the running of the British Powerlifting Union with my wife Emma and of course training, traveling, competing, announcing and everything that goes with it.
But today I felt compelled to write! My wife is writing on almost the same topic as I am, as we are both unbelievably enthusiated by one thing:
Eddie the Eagle Movie!
What a phenomenal piece of work it was. It is a story of Eddie Edwards, a young plumber from Cheltenham who wanted to be in the Olympics. And he did not win, he did not place, but fuck me he got there. Most of us know Eddie's story before as he has been the crowd favourite in Finland as well as his home country of UK.
But that movie embodied so much that you sometimes miss, even in the sporting movies that root for the underdog. A feel good family movie but packed more punch than boxing, running or other memorable sporting movies. And it all boiled down to one thing:
It is not about winning, it is the frigging struggle!
I felt incredible pride in what we are doing with the BPU right now and what I do in my home country of Finland with beginners competitions and the Nationals I am promoting. As many know, we have in BPUthe drug tested side and the non tested side. And the idea is to make everyone equal in that sense, respect everyone's choices to compete using steroids or compete on an even playing field without them. Compete with supportive equipment or to compete RAW, once again in level playing field. And, more importantly than the level playing field, give everyone the platform. We have had 220kg RAW benchers crying for joy over 100kg deadlifts by teen lifters. Not because it is a World Record, but because it is the effort they know have gone into it.
I do admin and run comps and haul equipment, and Emma does even more. I feel like a damn accountant sometimes, trying to send a hundred letters of memberships etc. more often than not late. But I feel pride in giving the platform and being part of something that is so unbelievably positive.
We have hundreds of members, including all time record holders and world champs, but the truth is, most of the lifters will never achieve that. And it is for those lifters and because of those lifters the federation runs. They bring in the joy, the support and the mass of members. The world champions lift in multiple feds and will always fit in, because they are alfa males and females, at least in some sense. But even they cheer for the small guys and the underdogs. Because they all earn the respect by doing what they can, within limitations and desires, to the utmost personal best.
I often as an announcer overuse hyping up a lift as a lifter;s personal best. That is simply because I see that as the single most important record one can break. It sounds tacky, but that is the way it is.
Movie hitting home
The number one reason why I (as Emma) felt compelled to write something, was that the movie struck me hard personally. I was close to tears one dozen times for Christ's sake. The reason is, that Eddie did not win. And everyone told him that he would not.
When I was lifting as a kid, I was told the same thing over and over again. I was told to go to some other gym, as a fat, long haired kid did not fit certain gyms. At the gym's Christmas party I was asked to perform a posedown because of it's humour value, I would have even be paid to be the laughing stock with m long hair and seriously obese physique. And I was shit at every single sport there is. Not good even at throwing stuff.
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| 10 years old and 90kg or more. Not a climber or a distance runner. (although a wicked hiker compared to any modern fit kids) |
I was envious, but never bitter, to guys who could pop open a can of steroids and lift 3 days a week with a shit program and bench 200 RAW, whereas I remember struggling with shoulder injuries before benching 100 the first time (at 125kg bodyweight, mind you). I had, and still have, moobs and everything nowadays proclaimed worthy of having male body image issues.
But I stuck to it. Not because I thought I would be in the Olympics, but because I felt my small successes would make me prouder. And I did not go to the lengths of Eddie by jumping off giant hills, but I did, and will always do, pretty insane shit at the gym, numerous times brushing with actual Death (300kg on the throat on bench for example) and have injured myself more than I can count.
And I have read literally thousands of pages of books and articles to get better.
And I feel in my own way I did what Eddie did. I got something I was proud of. Even though it was not the best result ever, I benched my long time dream of 200, then 300. I got the World Champion title of the two biggest Pro federations in the world in 2014 and 2015 respectively. But those weren't the star moments. My star moment was bronze at the Nationals in Finland, 2008 or 2007. My first comp as an Open lifter at National level, after I had been sure and assured by many I can't do it. That is the only time after competition I have cried of joy. And ever since I haven't really cared about the naysayers patting me in the back. It doesn't matter when you know what you have done and what makes you proud.
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| Las Vegas and bronze at the WPC Worlds |
My bench record is almost 100kg less than the all time record that some freaks in the same weight class has lifted. I am not even in the top 20 of all time benchers in my classes, and maybe never will be. But that is not the point. I had my moment, like Eddie. I did something that cleansed my soul and will keep on doing it. And set new goals.To some they are big, to some they are shit. For me they are mine.
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| The moment I surely knew I have made it. |
Frankly, I don't give a shit if I ever break any all time record of everything. As long as I have my moments and my pride. And through BPU and my own competitions in Finland I will offer those moments for other people. The scrawny Asian kids who don't know you have to wear long socks in the deadlift, those housewives who have rehabbed thei backs and want to lift, men making their powerlifting debuts at the age of 63, the guys going for the all time world records, the rank novices and everything in between.
To anyone who wants, just for a moment, to soar like an eagle.
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| Eddie the Eagle, made it to the Olympics |
