Raising the Bar
An ascent towards pride and passion
Mervin drew in a sharp breath as he entered the arena. The place was filled with strong and powerful men who had qualified for the AWPC World Championship 2019 in Russia. The thunk and clank of weights, bars and beams reverberated across the space as the organizers scampered to arrange and validate all the equipment. The air was icy and the weather was much harsher than the scorching Trichy sun he was used to. The lifts and weights here were substantially different from the rickety racks back in his college gym- after all, he was in the big leagues now.
The past two years of his life had been leading up to this moment. Since the Sportsfete of 2018, he had fallen in love with this sport, captured by its absolute raw power. The college gym didn’t have proper flooring, let alone a proper roof, but it was where it all had started. He followed the footsteps of his senior, Jerin, and decided to use a gym near Trichy for additional practice. And he knew this wouldn’t be where his journey ended; after all the arduous practice sessions and recovering from multiple injuries, his efforts couldn’t go to waste just because of a few setbacks. This was his time to shine. He had always prided himself on being a natural athlete, and for the first time, he was pitted against other negative drug-tested athletes in a separate league, where he could find out where he truly stood amongst tough but fair competition.
He encouraged himself and stepped into the arena, facing unfamiliar faces; however, he was there to make his known.
The Squats
His first event was the Squats, where he had to complete one cycle of squats while lifting the weights.
This was where he left his first mark. The initial set consisted of lifts of 205kg. Settled under the monolift, he set out to lift a maximum weight of 235kgs, turning quite a few heads in the room.
Feeling extremely satisfied with himself, he readied himself for the next event, the Bench-press.
The Bench-press
It was known for how it relied not just on raw strength, but also its careful rules. Mervin gripped the bar, and inhaled deeply, as he went for one lift after another. Weights were added upto a maximum of 115kgs . With a sigh of relief, he took his coach-administered rest, as he looked at the other lifters from Russia and Egypt. They were tough opponents, he believed, but his fight was with himself. He was lifting so he could prove to himself that he could break all of his own previous records. He mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
The Deadlift
Deadlift is a test of pure strength, it is all about pushing oneself to the utmost. There are no rules, only the bar, and the weights attached to it, and willpower and physical capability determines the winner. This was where he could solidify his position.
He bent down, gripping the bar as tight as he could. He went for his first lift, held the weights up, then dropping it. One more round of weights were added, and he repeated the process. He could feel his muscles contract as he went for his final lift. His face contorted with the strain, but his eyes burned with determination as he lifted a whopping 262.5kgs. This was a new record for his category and he’d done it!
There were quite a few risks Mervin had taken in his trip to Russia. There were chances of cramping and dehydration in a climate he wasn’t accustomed to. The other athletes had more experience with the new equipment, and had probably had a trainer for much longer than he had. After all, he had started his journey by watching YouTube videos and training himself, but he was all the better for it. He had taken risks at every juncture in this journey, but had come out on top because he had created his own opportunities every time.
As he eloquently puts it,
“At some point, a student should create their own opportunities, look for better facilities outside and train under any circumstances, rather than waiting for the college to make its facilities better and provide support. It’s not easy to hit the gym and do the same stuff everyday. Amidst all the other commitments you have in college or at your workplace, you have got to work for it day in and day out. You must feel the same electricity in your body every time you’re training and that’s something that keeps you going. Being consistent is key. Big totals aren’t built in one day.”
This piece was written in collaboration with Gokul Krishna, Bavesh Rajaraman and G.s. AviNash.
