 Glastonbury Fitness Instructors Bring Home Gold From National Championships
GLASTONBURY, CONN. (Jan. 9, 2012)—Dean Dufford and Terri Parker have always aspired to provide the gold standard of kettlebell fitness programs as co-owners of Red Barn Fitness on Kreiger Lane in Glastonbury.
And their recent victories in kettlebell competitions have reinforced their dedication to the sport.
Dean and Terri won gold medals in separate events during the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation (IKFF) National Championships in Detroit. The competition included more than 140 athletes from around the world, including four Master of Sport athletes.
Sixth Gold Medal
Terri brought home the gold in the Long Cycle event, which is a 10-minute set of clean and jerk with one bell and one hand switch. It was her sixth gold medal victory overall and her fourth in a Long Cycle competition.
In this competition, the bell is brought from below the waist to the chest and then jerked overhead to the lock-out before being dropped back to the chest and lowered to re-clean it.
Terri competed with the 16 kg bell and completed 117 reps, moving 4,118 pounds in 10 minutes. That’s an average of 411 pounds per minute, which is four times her body weight every minute during the grueling competition.
“My performance in Detroit was not my best,” Terri said. “I had done 129 reps in June and expected to hit 140 in Detroit. You just never know. Many things can play into it, like cutting weight, travel, time you go up. But in the end it only matters what you do at the time.”
Terri said she now is training to make Candidate for Master of Sport or Master of Sport.
First-Time Champion
Dean earned his gold medal in the Biathlon event in his first kettlebell competition.
“This being my first time on the platform I had no expectations of winning,” Dean said. “My goal was to finish the 10-minute set as strong as possible.”
The Biathlon involves a 10-minute set of jerks with two bells followed an hour later by a 10-minute set of snatches with one bell. A competitor’s score is determined by combining the number of repetitions completed.
Jerk reps involve lifting the bells overhead from one’s chest, showing lock-out of knees and elbows before dropping the bells back to chest level. A snatch rep is a one-handed extension of the swing from below the waist to above the head in one motion. Competitors are allowed one hand switch with the snatch and typically use one hand for five minutes before switching.
Dean completed 136 jerks with a 16 kg bell, averaging 13.6 jerks per minute. He moved 9,574 pounds in 10 minutes, averaging 957 pounds per minute. With the snatches, he completed 20 reps per minute with the 16 kg bells, moving 7,040 pounds during 10 minutes.
“In the jerks, I felt I could finish and was able to do 19 reps in the final minute,” he said. “The snatch set went better than expected. My next goal is to compete in the professional division with the 24 kg bells.”
Dean and Terri now are training for a competition in March in Long Island City, N.Y., and will bring six team members who train with Dean and Terri at their private facility.
If you are interested in learning more about kettlebell competitions or just the fitness benefits of training, you may contact either Dean or Terri through their website, www.redbarnfitness.com, or by calling 860-430-5901.
Glastonbury Citizen 03/2009
Local Athletes Excel in Kettlebell
Terri Parker and Tyler Vallario, representing Red Barn Fitness in Glastonbury, competed in the March 8 Kettlebell Competition held at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio. There were 17,000 competitors at the event, with 150 registered competitors for the Kettlebell Lifting. Terri and Tyler each competed in the Biathalon, a 10-minute set of jerks and a 10-minute set of snatches.
Terri competed as a professional in her weight class using a 16 kg kettlebell and Tyler competed as a youth amateur, also using the 16 kg kettlebell. Both brought home gold medals in their class!
Next up is the World Kettlebell Club Competion in Chicago, August 29. For more information, visit www.redbarnfitness.com.
Glastonbury Citizen 12/2008
American Kettlebell Club's Sport Championship
Terri Parker, a local trainer and owner of Red Barn Fitness, recently participated in the American Kettlebell Club’s Sport Championship. The event, which was held in Atlanta on December 13, 2008, featured competitions in the biathalon and long cycle events. Parker competed in the long cycle, 10 minutes of clean and jerk with a 12 kg Kettlebell, wining the event and brining home the gold!
Terri now has her sights on the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio on March 7th and 8th. Parker and Tyler Valario will represent Team Red Barn and IKFF (International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation). Both are planning to compete in the biathalon, 10 minutes of jerks plus 10 minutes of snatches.
For more information go to www.redbarnfitness.com and www.ikff.net
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