On April 21st, 2007, Catherine Imes achieved Master of Sport in Kettlebell Lifting. She received this Rank through the World Kettlebell Club by completing 192 repetitions in the Snatch. The qualification for this Rank is 186 and Catherine has reached past this level many times in training, but this was her first official attempt. We have several lifters that have reached the level of MS in the gym, but it’s not enough to be granted Rank. In order for an MS to be official it must be performed at a scheduled event, judged and witnessed. She did it and can now carry this Rank with her for the rest of her life! Congratulations, Catherine… Your achievement has created a lot of interest in Kettlebell Lifting if the emails I’ve been receiving are any indication. You’ve also raised the bar for Americans wanting to compete on an International stage.
You can see a clip of her performance here: Catherine Imes Achieving Master of Sport
What’s it mean to be Master of Sport in Kettlebell Lifting? Well, besides Coach Fedorenko, Catherine is the only one we know of in the USA! If anyone knows of another MS or someone approaching these numbers, we need to talk. Email us at: AmericanKettlebellClub@gmail.com
Being “Master” of a skill is a serious claim. We have Master Plumbers, Art and Music Masters, and Masters Degrees; all of which take years to accomplish. We all have images of Kung Fu “Masters” plucking eyeballs from heads! Those that have seen Kill Bill Vol. 2 that is… It must take a lifetime to be that skilled! And, don’t forget, they called Jesus Christ “The Master”. We even have entire divisions of almost all Sports for the older, but truly experienced athletes. The very thought of these terms conjures up feelings of time and experience. A deeper insight…
There’s a bit of controversy about how quickly one generally makes it to “Master” of Kettlebell Lifting. Many Kettlebell Lifters throughout the World have achieved this Rank in just a few years’ time, while Olympic Lifters balk that in their Sport it might take twice as long or more to reach “Master” level. There are lots of Sports that take equally as long as OL, if not more, to achieve “Master”. What’s it mean? Generally, qualification tables are based on what Lifters/Athletes have been able to reach. In other words, we have the top levels of human potential documented, and the comparisons can be made, so the time it takes to reach these levels is just data.
It might not even be true that it takes less time to make Kettlebell Master. Because Kettlebell Sport is a Fitness Sport, “newbies” have some carryover from other Fitness they’ve been a part of and can sometimes skip ahead to higher levels of the qualification tables. It’s the very Nature of this Conditioning Sport. Kettlebells are the perfect balance of Strength and Endurance. That’s why you see seemingly different bodytypes meeting in the middle and developing the attribute “Strength-Endurance” with Kettlebells, such as Powerlifters and Cyclists. Coach Fedorenko says “Kettlebells are Survival Tools… we have to find a way to survive while using them, and it’s this adaption that gives us the superior Conditioning.”
Being Master of Sport carries with it a responsibility. It’s Rank. It proves who you are within a certain discipline. You can’t buy this kind of experience! Catherine understands what it takes to reach this level and can now easily assist another athlete in doing the same. She Ranks among the few already, but she’s not done. Her goals are set for Master of Sport World Class which is 222 reps!
Good Luck with your future endeavours, Catherine. I speak for the entire Club when I say we appreciate your Coaching assistance greatly. You truly lead by example.
Eric Liford, Editor
American Kettlebell Club
Catherine is a Coach with the American Kettlebell Club and can be reached through her website www.CatherineImes.com
If you are interested in becoming a Kettlebell Lifting Coach or using these tools for increasing your Fitness levels, visit www.AmericanKettlebellClub.com for more information.
