Yesterday we hosted our 2nd Annual Turkey Pull in Newport Beach, California. 50 lifters from all over Southern California came to put their strength to the test and see how heavy they could pull.
It was an awesome event with lifters ranging from ages 18 to 88. We had experienced lifters, competitive powerlifters, pregnant moms, veterans and also lots of lifters that are brand new to weight training. Not to mention all the folks that just came out to cheer the lifters on and support the event.
The event was a fundraiser for the Semper Fi & America's Fund , a non profit that supports our military, veterans and their families. Thanks to all of the participants and donations we raised $1500 for the fund! Thank you!
Getting ready for the Turkey Pull! We will be live on YouTube at 1000PST pic.twitter.com/Tdd8X2Hk21
— The Strength Co. (@thestrength_co) November 18, 2023
We also owe a special Thank You to the Newport Aquatic Center for providing an amazing venue to have the competition at! Hopefully we left the bathrooms clean and the stage intact and we can come back again next year.
I have competed and attended a lot of Powerlifting Competitions over the years, and while as a lifter I greatly enjoy them, the Turkey Pull is by far my favorite event.
Yes, I am biased as the gym owner and supporter of The Fund, and while it is amazing to see all the gym members in one place at the same time, meet new lifters and support a good cause, there is something more to it than that. There is something special about watching normal everyday people showing that they are in control of their own physical strength.
Watching our oldest lifter Corki (age 88) fail a 135lbs deadlift attempt was just as impressive as watching Sebastian pull the most weight of day at 700lbs. The weight on the bar does not matter, the effort of the individual does!
Whether there is 300lbs or 600lbs on the bar, every lifter knows what that feeling is like when you walk up to the bar and wonder if you will be able to budge it off the floor. I was absolutely amazed by some of the pulls yesterday, the grit and determination was inspiring.
The Turkey Pull will continue this week as lifters compete virtually online for a chance to win prizes. Competitors that are members of our online coaching service will compete together live online, while others will post their lifts to social media, tag The Strength Co. and use hashtag #turkeypull to be eligible to win prizes!
We were live on YouTube for the majority of the event, unfortunately thanks to a killer playlist YouTube has currently blocked the video for copyright... I guess we'll have to have a live band next year!
Hopefully we can get it fixed, if not you can see the last hour of the event on our Instagram page and we'll be posting a YouTube video later this week with interviews of a lot of the lifters.
Thank you to all who participated and will participate this week! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!