Right now, I am sitting in our gym a couple of days after hosting a Strongman competition and reflecting on the weekend. Fitting that Thanksgiving is about a week away because the biggest thing that hits me is gratitude, how grateful I am with the generosity of our community. It is important to take moments when you can find them to reflect and take stock. This past weekend we had about a dozen people volunteer their Saturday to help us run the competition. We had a broad array of people, everything from engineer to banker, food scientist to elite athlete doing every job that needed to be done throughout the day and providing an infectious energy and enthusiasm that spread throughout the athletes. Everyone worked together to provide a great environment for the fantastic group of athletes demonstrating their dedication to strength. I cannot express how profoundly grateful I am to the community around me for stepping up so much, without these good people we would not be able to put on competitions, at least not ones that run so smoothly! So, with great humility I would like to recognize and thank from the bottom of my heart all the terrific people who helped us this weekend and all those who have helped us throughout the years. It is truly humbling to have such good friends. Thank you.
I have been competing since 2008 and have been working or promoting competitions that whole time. Without a doubt, it is far more exhausting to promote and work a competition than it is to compete in one. With the few exceptions of a WSM or Arnold, every competition I have seen or competed in has relied heavily on the generosity of the Strongman community. Friends, family, and training partners pitch in together to make sure events run smoothly and everyone has an enjoyable time. This is one of the reasons the sport is what it is, so many people involved want to give back and make events great for the next generation coming in. The next competition you go to take some time and show some appreciation to the staff that are making the event what it is. Show some grace to the judges and people setting the events and give back where you can. We are now the stewards of the sport, let’s continue to wear the mantle well and provide an example for the next generation.
