Chalk Bowl
Powerlifting doesn’t have an expiration date
So many lifters leave the sport, not because they stop loving it, but because life changes around them. College happens, and suddenly it is books and barbells, until the community that made it all work is a state away and the platform feels harder to reach. Careers start. Families start. A body that used to bounce back does not anymore. A lifter ages out of a division and starts to wonder if it still counts. Sometimes there is no single reason at all, just a slow drift away from something that used to matter.
The mentor and mentee pathway exists to show lifters that community in powerlifting can look like a lot of different things, and it can last as long as you want it to. The person who has already been through what you are going through right now can help you find your way through it too. That is the whole idea. Lend a hand. Ask for one.
This is bigger than training
Mentorship through Chalk Bowl Collective is not only about training partners and time management. It is for the lifter who wants to become a referee but has no idea where to start. The lifter who wants to try meet directing but wants a realistic picture of what that actually involves before they commit. The lifter dreaming about opening a gym, starting a coaching business, or turning powerlifting into something more than a hobby. The lifter who is trying to figure out how to keep lifting through arthritis or a medical condition and feels like they are the only one dealing with it. This is for the transgender or transitioning lifter and the athlete whose gender isn't recognized in most federations. It’s for the lifter going through hormone therapy and the lifter who feels confused and alone. In powerlifting, everyone belongs. You just need to meet the right people and find the right pathway.
Groups, clubs, and teams welcome
This pathway is not limited to individuals. Powerlifting clubs, gym teams, and other lifting groups are welcome to join as well, whether as a mentoring group offering guidance to lifters coming up, or as a group looking to be connected with mentors themselves. Community can be built one on one, but it can also be built team to team, and Chalk Bowl Collective wants room for both.
How it works
Mentors complete an application outlining what they are looking to offer mentorship on. All mentors must be trained through Safe Sport and will go through a screening process before being matched. Mentors under 18 will need parent or guardian approval. Mentees complete an application as well, outlining what they are hoping to be mentored on, and are also screened as part of the matching process.