The Strength Guys is very excited to share that we recently sponsored and presented two youth lifting scholarships in Zimbabwe through our partnership with the charity Lift4Life!
Since February, TSG has started a #CoachingForACause initiative where a portion of all our coaching fees go towards spreading strength around the world to underprivileged communities that need sport the most.
Lift4Life hosted a local community meet over in Zimbabwe on Sunday, June 3rd, led by Team Member Nicola Paviglianiti. Here, The Strength Guys sponsored scholarships were presented for both the Best Junior Female and Best Junior Male lifter. It is intended that these scholarships go towards helping these lifters complete their schooling and pursuing their career aspirations, while also supporting their passion for powerlifting.
Kelly Chiripa was the female youth scholarship recipient. A Zimbabwe Strength Gal at its finest!
Kelly weighed in at 64.8kg, with a best squat of 60kg, bench of 30kg, and deadlift of 80kg. This strong gal is 15 years old and in Form 2 (the equivalent to Grade 10) in the suburb of Mabvuku in Harare. Kelly trains after school and on weekends on the Lift4Life donated powerlifting equipment within her community.
It was a special moment witnessing her receive her scholarship, as she was in absolute shock and was close to tears of joy during the presentation. Speaking with Nicola after the meet, the young girl spoke about how her favourite lift was the squat, and how the best thing about powerlifting was that it makes her feel “confident” and her “body strong”. Kelly is still unsure of what she wants to do after she completes school, however, she says she wants to teach other girls about powerlifting and inspire them to also join the sport.
Isaac Zinyembe was the male youth scholarship recipient. This young lifting lad is 22 years old, and has already been lifting for 7 years! He started when he was in Form 2 (grade 10) at the age of 15 after a friend introduced him to lifting weights – he hasn’t looked back since! At the meet, Isaac weighed in at 53.4kg finishing with a 90kg squat, 70kg bench, and a huge 140kg deadlift.
Isaac completed highschool, however, has been unable to pursue any further studies and is currently unemployed due to Zimbabwe’s economic situation. He has a dream of pursuing a career in the area of sports and physical activity, and this scholarship will hopefully motivate him and provide him the means to do so. Isaac has “a love for speed” and enjoys making weights move fast. He hopes to compete again soon, and has already been back to the weights and training this past week.
TSG is so honoured for this opportunity to impact lives, and we are excited to continue to work together with Lift4Life to spread the power of powerlifting.
Related Stories:
TSG Team Members Spreading Strength in Zimbabwe
Nicola Paviglianiti – Gender Equality