Strongman is a sport full of broken people. I’m certainly one of them. Most of us get into this sport because we’re not ok, and this is an outlet to deal with our demons.
Rebecca Lorch took her own life this week. For those who don’t know, she was one of the strongest lightweight women in the sport. I was heartbroken to hear about her passing this morning, and even moreso when I found out what happened. I wanted to give her the space on this forum she deserves, as we are all brothers and sisters in this iron game.
I want to remind every person on this forum that you are loved and appreciated. This time of year is tough for a lot of people. Take care of the people you love.
make sure they know that when they’re struggling, you’re there for them.
Yeah, for some reason i always get depressed this time of the year. As soon as the holiday stuff shows up in stores, for some reason i always think of all the mistakes ive done, people i have hurt, etc. And the closer it gets to the celebration days, the more it feels that the society pushes this feeling on me more and more. Even tho my life is good, for some reason i am very unhappy from 10th December to 2nd January…
You’re not alone, my friend. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, and sometimes this season can hit hard. Stay strong <3
This is the second suicide in 2 weeks in the American/Texas strongman community. A good friend, Corey Pease, took his life just over a week ago. I used to train with him, and competed with him several times. Really great dude. It’s been a tough month for me. Just gotta keep moving forward
I shared this to Facebook, thought I’d post it here too. I’m sure most of y’all will appreciate, and probably recognize, the Dave Tate quote.
“Normal types might scoff at the notion of hitting the gym with so much shit going on, but they aren’t seeing the big picture – or at least my big picture. I don’t punish myself with drop-sets and high-rep squats to build muscle. I do it to kill my demons. We all have demons inside of us. Some have more than others, and some guys can deal with them better than the next.” - Dave Tate
I’ve often described the Strongman community as a bunch of broken people who use this sport to battle our demons. The quote above has always resonated with me. That’s who I am. The gym has been my sanctuary, my happy place, for the better part of 20 years now. Most strongman competitors I know have fought, and are fighting, similar battles. We use the pains, the struggles, and the rituals of competitive weightlifting to be better versions of ourselves, and to try to make sense of the world. We find camaraderie, friendship, love in the gym. We try to make sense of the terrible things inside of us, and around us. For many of us, it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Over the last 10 days, 2 beautiful members of our community, Corey Pease and Rebecca Lorch, lost their battles with their own demons. There are no words to make sense of these things.
I’m well aware that this is ultimately cliche, but: if you’re struggling, reach out. Talk to a friend. Talk to me. Talk to anyone. Tomorrow will be better. Love you all <3
Sadly…I’m no stranger to suicide attempts, and self harm. I have my own strongholds. Some are known by others here.
To say I “understand”. Is an understatement. There are no words to describe what that perpetual grind against the grain of this world feels like. “For we wage not against flesh and blood, but against spirits and principalities, the rulers of darkness in high places.”
On the side concerning training, I don’t really use it as a tool to soothe. Maybe once upon a time I did, but if anything, it’s a replacement. It’s a replacement for anything I could do to help with depression. Almost every aspect of life can change instantly. Im someone who can adapt physically to change, but mentally and emotionally I tend to fall apart immediately.
The weights though…they don’t change. Training…doesn’t change. It’s Christmas Eve, and at 1am I decided to go to the gym. The Christmas carols will stop. The lights will come down, the food will stop tasting as good, and the people will resort back to the regular ebb and flow of the work days. The weights and the training…they’ll be right there like they always are.
Even as I say this, it doesn’t fix the loss, or the struggles that those two people faced. It doesn’t lessen the degree to which they felt their suffering. It was enough that they couldn’t push back anymore.
But the choice to carry on isn’t about me really. All I can come to think of now is my brother. He lost his battle too in February. I’ve never met those two people. Sadly I never will, but just like how I view my brother not being here anymore, I can pick up the slack. I can go against the grain. Ill do it for my brother, and the millions of people I’ll probably never meet. Yes. I’m just one me, but that’s okay. There’s just one of everyone.
Sad news, but it is good to know there are others using the gym for the same reasons I do. I think part of the problem is the feeling of it being just me - this shows that isn’t the case and is the first time I have seen it being discussed.
