Monilea woman is multiple Girevoy world champion

A Mullingar woman living in Australia is a multiple winner in Girevoy, a sport that is particularly physically demanding, though it’s not widely known.

Valerie Abbott from Monilea competed in the Kettlebell Sport World Championships in Corfu, Greece and took seven gold medals and one bronze back to her adopted homeland, Australia.

That remarkable performance reflects years of dedication and training in the sport, she told the Westmeath Examiner.

“I started the sport 11 years ago in Australia and this was my third world championships. The first was in Dublin 2015, then Aktobe, Kazakhstan 2016, and now in Corfu Greece. I qualified for the Australian team each year, but as it’s fully self-funded I haven’t competed internationally as much as I would like.”

This year Valerie competed in amateur adult category and veteran categories for the biathlon, which is two 10-minute lifts: jerk (2 x 16kg kettlebells) and snatch (1 x 16kg kettlebell). The goal is the highest number of repetitions in the 10 minutes without placing the bells down.

Valerie also competed in the professional adult category for military snatch (1 x 24 kettlebell), which lasts for 12 minutes.

Valerie moved to Australia 16 years ago, and at the gym where she did a bootcamps class, she discovered the sport of competitive kettlebell lifting.

“I now also train a class in Brisbane once a week, where we are trying to grow the sport. At the moment there are about 100 active athletes in Australia,” she said.

“I’ve met many of the Irish kettlebell team who are trying to grow the sport too and get it into schools there.”

Valerie is a global product lead at CBRE (a real estate company). She remains connected to their roots in Ireland and values the support of the community here.

Valerie was the first female in the world to win a silver medal in a Two Arm Long Cycle (2 x 16kg) event at an IUKL World Championships. She was ranked sixth in the world in -63kg 16kg Snatch category (IUKL) in 2016. She achieved Candidate of Master of Sport (CMS) in 24kg Long Cycle in the -63kg weight category.

In 2016 she made history by being among the first females to compete in Long Cycle at an IUKL World Championship, at Aktobe, Kazakhstan. She came second to her teammate at the first ever 2x16kg Long Cycle event, and went from 16th place to sixth place in women’s -63kg 16kg snatch.

She says: “Girevoy (Kettlebell sport) is my passion, along with most other fitness related activities.”