Last Saturday 10/30, Breakthrough had the opportunity to compete in the StrongFirst Tactical Strength Challenge for the first time in two years - our last one was October 2019. It felt like a sign of hope to be able to host this event, since right before the pandemic shut down we had just begun training for the Spring 2020 TSC, only to have to abruptly close down the gym. With restrictions on spacing and sharing equipment, we hadn't been able to safely train for this event until recently, so this comeback was a pretty big deal!
Barbells were deadlifted, pull ups were pulled, kettlebells were snatched. Chalk was in the air, high fives and hugs were abundant, and celebrations were big. Of course seeing our team pull off feats of strength after many weeks of training is always amazing. But most impressive is not the strength of body, but of mind, character and spirit.
After the past 19 months, it's a lot to ask of yourself to put a date on a calendar, commit to extra training and know that you will be pushing yourself to work harder than you may have in a while. For those who competed for the first time, it's never an easy task, but even harder when life has been as complicated as it has. For those who are TSC veterans, it took a special kind of strength to know that you can't jump back to where you were two years ago - most of us knew we would not achieve any personal records this time around.
To all those who competed, we salute your strength! To all who supported the team by helping during the event, or providing support and encouragement during training, we couldn't do it without you! One thing is for sure, we are stronger together in mind, body, character and spirit!