One of the most challenging aspects of my training for kettlebell sport has been wearing multiple hats as both competitor and coach. When I first embarked upon the sport, I was blown away by what great kettlebell lifters like US Masters of Sport, Catherine Imes and Bonnie Mullaney could do with the iron ball. Their devotion to technical mastery is just as impressive as their supernatural levels of strength and endurance. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have spent some unexpected time with both of them at a course hosted by the American Kettlebell Club (AKC) earlier this summer. Though I didn’t know it at the time, the experience would teach me valuable lessons about being a great teacher and committed athlete, in addition to giving me a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness someone earn the highest rank within the sport.

By coincidence, I first met Bonnie–a fit new mom in her 20s–as she competed alongside our ICKB team for the first time. As newcomers to the sport, we all immediately bonded based on our shared levels of anxiety and fear of the unknown, but something was unusually special about Bonnie. In addition to her 13-month-old son being potty trained already, her generous offer to let my teammate wear her competition shorts also left quite an impression on me. But, it was Bonnie’s amazing performance as an amateur lifter that quickly separated her from the pack. “Wow, she sure has an incredible coach,” I remember thinking out loud.

Imagine my delight when just a few months later Bonnie spontaneously decided to go for her Master of Sport ranking at the San Francisco AKC course with Catherine Imes serving as her judge. It was both terrifying and exhilarating to witness Bonnie haul that 35 lb. yellow kettlebell over her head nearly four hundred times to become the 4th women in the U.S. to earn the title. Bonnie’s coach, Redwood Kettlebell Club owner Kevin Jodrey, gently steered her toward victory with phrases like, “Catch your rest. There you go. Relax the hand. Perfect.” I was just as impressed by his gentle approach as I was by her athletic prowess. He took great care of his athlete, ensuring her proper warm-up and helping her cultivate a positive and confident state of mind. As a result, Bonnie’s light shined the entire time. I was honored to be sitting in a front row seat and left the experience with a renewed sense of inspiration and determination to take the ICKB Team (myself included) to the next level.

At our recent meet in Colorado however, I had a hard time balancing it all. We stepped into the professional biathlon division for the first time as a team. On the surface, everything looked great. For the most part, we all performed well, but I returned home concerned about my role as both teacher and teammate. Several unexpected mishaps occurred along the way to competition day. First, one of our teammates got married three weeks prior, which meant the team had to deal with significant interruptions to our normal training schedule. We lacked confidence. Second, my husband (our other coach) and I left our son home for the first time, which caused us to fly early on separate flights. No sleep! Third, when one of my teammates was in crisis while on the platform, we were so focused on helping her get through the set that we neglected to usher a word of encouragement or guidance to our fourth teammate competing next to her. Not exactly a winning team strategy. Fourth, we did not prepare for the oxygen debt unique to the Denver area. As coaches we should have insisted on a better warm-up beforehand, but we were too distracted by our own needs as competitors. In the end, we left the event feeling defeated by our lack of leadership and teamwork.

Reflecting on the meet in Denver has caused me to evaluate areas that need improvement before our next competition in Atlanta, Georgia. Though we aren’t at the level of Master of Sport yet, each tournament bears an opportunity for one of us (hopefully all of us) on the ICKB Team to reach a new PR, a precious personal best. What I learned in Denver is that I bear a responsibility as a coach to make that experience as special and as seamless as possible–just like Coach Kevin did for Bonnie on her big day–even if it means that my own competitive timeline takes longer than others quickly moving up the ranks.

Fortunately, I had a great opportunity to mentally regroup recently, and “right some wrongs” from the Denver experience. With the help of the ICKB Team, we organized an in-house kettlebell meet for our novice practitioners. This time I reminded myself what was most important: that every participant feels supported, well-prepared, and included throughout the process. In the end, I’m proud to report that the event epitomized what it’s like to train effectively and WIN as a team.

Here is a video highlight which captures what every kettlebell event should be like: full of laughter, excitement, and fun. The experience was my gold medal performance.

MAYACHELA (MAYA) GARCIA is a mother and co-founder of Ice Chamber, a unique athletic training facility in Albany, CA. Her area of expertise is getting women (especially moms) in top shape utilizing kettlebells, bodyweight movements, weightlifting, and their natural environment... {more»}

Related Chi: ICKB Girls Continue Their Winning Streak Kettlebell Sport: The Road to Competition Day Kettlebell Tutorial: One Arm Swing The Relay: Not For the Faint of Heart Kettlebell Sport Comes to Athleta