Coach Filikidis and Me.

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It’s been five days since I touched down on US soil and I am finally getting my mind and body adjusted to Pacific Standard Time. Here are my notes from the plane trip back and a short video that, despite my limited access to filming, captures the essence of my experience.

Cheers,
Maya
P.S. Thank you WKC for allowing me to video portions of KB Sport Camp!
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Learning from top level coaches from around the world is a priceless opportunity.  As I sit here on the ten hour flight from Athens to NYC, I am desperately trying to mentally record every lesson offered by legendary Coaches Pantelis Filikidis and Valery Fedorenko.  I was humbled and proud to be the only female lifter in their prestigious International Kettlebell Sport Camp and greatly appreciate them for welcoming me into their man world with open arms—literally.   In addition to their kettlebell greatness, I was honored to learn from WKC Editor Eric Liford, Master Coaches Kevin Jodrey and Slovenia’s Gregor Sobocan; I’ll never forget the generosity of these excellent teachers.

When the plane touched down in Athens a week ago, my cabin neighbor Seth (the sweet young missionary with the cool hairdo) offered to pray for me and I knew at that moment this trip would be a special one.  But, even now as I reflect to type this, it’s difficult to put into words how much I was given in Greece—without even asking.  People (and animals) offered us random loving kindness at nearly every turn, every meal, every walk, and chance encounter.

…and speaking of animals, this story wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the dozens of large stray dogs roaming through the city streets.  They seem to enjoy the freedom of living in packs and napping in the sun at leisure, but many of them seem despondent and starved for love.  We were amazed at all the residents and city merchants whom care for the dogs with morning leftovers and storefront water bowls, but when a strong thunder and lightning storm hit Loutraki last Wednesday night, we couldn’t help but worry about them.   I know my mom left a piece of her heart with each one (and I think Gregor did too).

As we fly over the glorious snow capped mountains of Northern Italy, my heart is exploding with gratitude.   The WKC has given me so much beyond sport.  Things I thought about as a teenager, but was afraid to really dream about as an adult… like studying abroad, meeting strange and genuinely wonderful people across the globe, tasting exotic international foods, and listening to the beautiful sounds of world music, language, and the Aegean & Mediterranean Seas—live and in person!

But, rather than pour over every memory and try to capture with words all the ways this experience affected me, I chose a series of photographs to share with you, which collectively tell my story far better than I ever could.   Please feel free to ask me any questions about the photos in the comments section.  I would be happy to elaborate on any of them.

Lastly, I want to thank every participant at KB sport camp.  I’ll never forget what you each taught me in training and during our wildly fun times traveling together to and from the gym.  I’ll cherish every breakfast, song, coffee, and extended set we shared under the bells.