Put the kettle on... it’s time to get competitive
TUCKED away in the backyard of a house in Papakura, in a space no more than a few metres wide, is the training area for an athlete looking to take the top prize at the kettlebell championships.
Just a small section of deck has been the building blocks for Rose Ewing’s two New Zealand records and a shot in the upcoming kettlebell Oceania Championships.
In a sunny spot, often encircled by two dogs, she has worked on her technique over and over – snatching small bits of time out of her day in pursuit of perfection.
The beauty of the sport, she says, is geeking out over the details.
In a week, three New
Zealanders will head to the
Oceania Championships, hosted by Kettlebell Marathon Association Australia, in Bendigo, Victoria.
Rose Ewing, Neroli King and Mark Keet will compete across a number of events which vary in length and technique.
Kettlebell sport involves lifting the weight in a variety of different ways for either 10 minutes, a halfmarathon (30 minutes) or a marathon (60 minutes), with the aim of getting the most amount of repetitions during that time – while maintaining the proper technique. There are other events that involve mixing the types of lifts during the duration, such as a pentathlon.
The journey into the sport for Ewing started with CrossFit, where she was first introduced to kettlebells. ‘‘It appealed to me because of that technique element, you can refine and refine and refine.’’
A big part of the sport mental and ppace, Ewing said, is key – making sure you don’t exhaust yourself too early and conserving some energy for the sprint at the end.
When the pandemic hit and gyms, sports fields and courts
were closed, kettlebell was able to keep going, as there isn’t much needed in order to practice the sport. A foam mat, a few metres of space, some chalk and, most importantly, a few kettlebells are the only requirements. The price point is also a bonus, as you can pick up a single kettlebell for less than $100.
The fitness is one that also won’t break the body, as it’s more about endurance than lifting your maximum load, Ewing said.
Being able to hold two national records and compete at a high level are very exciting achievements that show the past few years of work have paid off, she said.
And, it’s something quite cool she gets to tell her kids.
Mark Keet made the switch to kettlebell sport after conventional gym workouts started to give him joint and back pain in his early 40s. The endurance that comes from a good technique is what sets people apart, he said. If you give someone who has never trained in the sport a kettlebell, they would probably only last three minutes.
Around five years ago he decided to up his game and compete at a national level. After joining the New Zealand Girevoy Sport Alliance, of which Ewing is the president, and hiring a coach who teaches him remotely from Russia, he’s now set to compete in the half-marathon event with a 24kg kettlebell. ‘‘Being 56 now, it’s great you can still compete at a sport at an international level.’’
Keet has his setup in his garage, with weights ranging from 8kg to 40kg.
While the group was able to compete in virtual events over the past few years, this will be the first time since border restrictions eased that they travel for competition.