Get to know the athlete! #1: Todd Schweb
The first athlete in our series to introduce you to is Todd Schweb. I was allowed to get to know him at this year’s IUKL World Championship and also compete against him in Long Cycle & Jerk Relay. He is a really friendly guy and immediately agreed to give a little inveriew. I hope you enjoy it.
Alex: Hi Todd, please introduce yourself briefly.
Todd: My name is Todd Schweb, I am 43 years old. I am a business owner (logging company) I’m from Armstrong ,British Columbia , Canada. I’ve been lifting in Kettlebell sport for almost five years now.
Alex: Great, already for 5 years. I saw you in Daugavpils, at the World Championship. Then surely that was not your first competition, was it?
Todd: No, I’ve lifted in lots of competitions at home here in Canada and in America. I also lifted at the IUKL worlds in South Korea last year.
Alex: Who or what brought you to Kettlebell Sport 5 years ago?
Todd: I was going to a gym that had competition Kettlebells that we just used for fitness workouts. Then I started seeing YouTube videos of Kettlebell sport competitions, this caught my interest so I started teaching myself. I started going to some local competitions in Vancouver, that’s where I met Charlie Fornelli, Kathryn Golbeck, and Slava Pelitsia. They are all very accomplished pro lifters. We became good friends and have our team Okanagan Valley Kettlebells. Charlie coaches me, and we travel to most competitions together.
Alex: It sounds like you have a very active kettlebell community in Canada. Are there many small competitions and gyms that offer kettlebell training?
Todd: In British Columbia we have a few Gyms that teach Kettlebells around Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, and they all try to put on a competition at least once a year. So we’ll have 4 or 5 great competitions a year just in B.C. Then there are groups of lifters in Alberta and Saskatchewan that will also put on Competitions. And in Eastern Canada there is lots of lifters and some competitions as well. Thanks to social media
, we have a very tight and supportive group of lifters right across Canada.
Alex: That sounds good! What are your plans for the future? Are you already preparing for the next competition?
Todd: Actually my next competition is next weekend in Victoria ( The Westshore open) I’ll be lifting 28 kg biathlon at that one. My future goal is to lift pro (32 kg) biathlon in the next couple years, so I’ve been putting in lots of time with the 28s. I’m also considering lifting at the WKSF worlds in Ireland next May.
Alex: These are very ambitious plans. How much time do you spend on your training?
Todd: I’ll spend 4-6 hours a week training with bells, then I also do some running and strength training during the week. I also try to do mobility and stretching daily.
Alex: That’s a really high workload. Are there any moments in which you do not enjoy training?
Todd: Definitely! Some days the lifting just feels terrible! But that’s the great thing about having a good coach like Charlie, he always wants feedback on how my training goes. So he’ll adjust the volume or take a closer look at my technique when I tell him the l
ifting isn’t feeling good. But some days lifting feels great and that’s what keeps me hooked on this sport. We just have to shake off those bad days and work on getting better.
Alex: Yes, that makes a good coach, I can confirm that. Then I would like to ask you now my two final questions. 1. What advice would you give to a kettlebell beginner?
Todd: My Advice for any beginner in this sport would be to seek out coaching, if you can’t find anybody local there is lots of good coaches and training on line. And always try to learn experienced lifters that actively compete. There’s lots of things to learn in order to make it 10 minutes on the platform. Also don’t be scared to jump right in and try a competition. Kettlebell lifters are very supportive people that want to see everyone excel in this sport.
Alex: How can Kettlebell competitions be made more interesting to spectators?
Todd: To help the sport become more interesting for spectators I think comes down to showing people great lifting and competition, so it’s up to all of us to keep striving to be better lifters. We have an organization in Canada (national development camps) that is putting up significant money prizes at there competitions. I think this is a great way to add excitement to our sport. It also gives lifters incentive to get better.
Alex: Thank you for your detailed answers, Todd. I wish you maximum s
uccess in your training. Best regards, Alex
Todd: Thanks Alex! I hope to see you at another international competitions soon.
☝️ I would appreciate your feedback if you like this format and if you have suggestions for improvements. I wish you a successful training.
Greetings Kettlebell Junkie ?♂️
