Interview with Ice Chamber Kettlebell Girl Surya Voinar-Fowler

Surya Voinar-Fowler is one of my kettlebell sport heroes.  I watched her on YouTube long before I was lucky enough to meet her and was always impressed by her guts on the platform.  However, it was reading "Just One Rep Away", written by Surya after a couple of failed MS attempts that made me realise what a truly incredible athlete Surya is: she never quits and epitomises the kettlebell sport spirit with constant growth, not only in numbers but in her outlook. 

It's Surya's persistence and humble nature that have allowed her to plough through countless barriers and continually add to her list of achievements, which include:

• Being ranked Master of Sport with the WKC and RGSF
• Being the only US woman to compete in 24kg snatch alongside the professional women in the IUKL, and winning a silver medal at the IUKL Open Cup of Europe in Russia and a bronze medal at the IUKL World Championships in New York
• Being ranked CMS in 24kg snatch only with the IUKL
• Holding record 20kg one arm jerk numbers

Surya has also broken down stereotypes by performing double jerks and double long cycle with form that would make most male lifters envious. 

This is an interview I've been wanting to do for a long time and I hope readers get as much inspiration from this interview as I did.  Emily

1.       How did you first find out about kettlebell sport?

I learned about kettlebells through the Ice Chamber. Not long after I had joined the IC Steven and Maya had begun to incorporate KB’s into many of the Core fitness classes. After several months training with bells for general conditioning Steve approached me and asked if I would be interested in training with Kettlebells for competition. At that time he and Maya were just forming the Ice Chamber Kettlebell Girls Team and I was very fortunate to be invited to join. We immediately began to train for our first WKC competition in Las Vegas in 2008.

2.       How do you account for your success in the sport (is it natural talent, hard work, good coaching etc)?

Without a doubt hard work and excellent coaching. While I wish I could answer natural talent it simply isn’t true. Out of all the ladies on the team I probably have the least amount of natural talent. I have had to work very hard to learn all aspects of this sport: technique, pace, conditioning, psychological preparation etc.  None of it has come easily to me. Thankfully I have coaches who are incredibly patient and who require the highest standards from their lifters.

Our team has always regarded the art of the lift, commitment to correct form and beautiful reps, as the first goal in sport competition. When I take to the platform of course I want to win but I want to do it through the highest quality of lifting I am capable of. In other words I do not want to trade quality for rep count. I am not willing to bend the definition of the lift say for example finessing a push press into a faster jerk. I want each rep to look the same and correctly meet the standards of the individual lift. When I earn rank I want my performance to have been a thing of strength and beauty.  

3.       What have you found are the benefits of kettlebell sport training?

Personal growth, high physical conditioning, weight loss, stress release just to name a few obvious benefits. There have also been many unexpected gifts along my KB journey- opportunities to travel around the world, learn about new cultures, make new friends and  support the growth of this phenomenal sport that I love.

4.       What sort of commitment do you make to training to achieve Master of Sport, record one arm jerk numbers and World Championship titles?

Training toward my personal goals in KB sport has required a significant amount of personal time both in terms of sport specific training and also in terms of general physical conditioning. I train with KB’s 5-6 days a week in addition to daily running or spinning.

5.       How do you fit training around work and family?

There is no way I could compete in this sport without the support of both family and friends. My husband, parents, and dear friends have been incredibly generous in providing loving care to my kids while I am training.  KB’s are a hobby and come second to family and my business. That means creative scheduling and having patience in pursuing my dreams. I am sure I am not alone in daydreaming about what I could accomplish if I had the opportunity to train full time.

6.       What is your secret to competing in this sport long term when so many people burn out after a couple of years?

Patience and humility. 

7.       After competing in the IUKL professional division twice, what are your thoughts on women snatching 24kg?

The 24 is a heavy bell to snatch there is no getting around it. Snatching the 24 successfully  requires a high level of technical execution. I do not think that most lifters (outside the IUKL women) are ready to safely snatch the 24kg. Not yet, we still need more time training and competing with the 16kg and 20kg. We still have a lot of work to do in terms of displaying correct technique, having more women rank MS and MSWC with the 20kg, and make record amounts of reps with 20kg before we will be ready to truly compete with the women of the IUKL. 

Competing in the IUKL division has been an important part of my personal journey as a KB athlete. It is important to me to seek out opportunities to challenge myself even if that meant being completely out of my element. Stepping on the platform to snatch the 24kg along with women who are pulling out 2x the amount of reps I was were two of most humbling experiences I have ever had. These women are achieving these phenomenal numbers because they are patient and dedicated to their training and because they understand how critical technique is.  Many of them have been training for 7,8, 9 plus years much of that time with the 16kg perfecting and refining their technique.

Most of us are far too impatient to refine our technique that much. But in order for U.S. women to be able to truly compete against and earn the respect of IUKL greats like Ksenia Dedyukhina, Anastasia Zolotareva and Olga Yaremenka we are going to have to find patience and commit to technique. And of course we are going to have to snatch- which may seem obvious but with so many organizations creating so many varieties of ranking categories fewer and fewer women seem to be willing to take on the hard work of training for true 10 min snatch/biathalon. For me though mastering the snatch is the pinnacle of KB sport.  

8.       Who are your greatest influences in kettlebell sport?

Valery Fedorenko, Ivan Denisov, Cate Imes, Fedor Fuglev,  Ksenia Dedyukhina are those legendary athletes in KB history. They inspire me on a daily basis as do the mere mortal lifters like myself who have been in the game for years and who are still chasing their dreams - lifters such as my team mates, Sara, Maya and Jess, as well as lifters such as Emily Friedel , CDuff (Chris Duffey),  Ivana Goricki Ex Britvec  just to name a few. These are the faces that I saw at my first competitions and while many others have come and gone they still train and compete all while helping to grow the sport.

9.       What advice would you give someone starting out in the sport?

Be patient, have fun, find new inspiration each day.  Find coaches with proper training and good character.  Choose your goals realistically and compete in organizations that will hold your lifting to the highest standards.

10.   Who do you think kettlebell sport is suitable for?

Anyone- which is just one of the many reasons I love this sport- age and gender due not place any limitations on lifters.