New female weightlifting club joins campus in 2023.
The Girl Gains National Association is an empowering female-based weightlifting community that established a new chapter on January 18 now on campus.
Girl Gains is a non-profit National Association founded in 2020 at San Diego State University, which currently has a profusion of 96 chapters in 30 states. On January 18, 2022, Kennesaw State became one of the many chapters in the U.S. all thanks to Catherine Smith, the founder of the Girl Gains club at KSU.
Smith, the founder of the club, talked about the overwhelming amount of compassion she has for young women in fitness who want to be involved in a community.
“I’m so passionate about everybody that’s involved in this club,” Smith said. “Even if I’ve never met them, I just love them and want everyone to be happy.”
Girl Gains’ mission statement is to promote female weightlifting and empower women to feel strong and beautiful in a judgment-free community.
Smith’s passion and determination to become an advocate for (both) the physical and mental well-being of women and their fitness journeys, while simultaneously creating a safe space that is free of judgment is what made all of this possible.
They are always welcoming new members to join at any time and their scheduled practices are from 7:30-9:30 P.M. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The optional dues for the club is $15 per semester.
Members who pay their dues receive perks, such as a free tote bag, a letter of recognition from the Girl Gains National Association, and 15% off on all national merchandise.
Smith said that although the club does not compete, they still support the members who choose to do so and attend their competitions with posters and confetti.
“It’s a really fun environment, but we just don’t want to push it because we have a lot of members that are beginners and don’t want them to feel pressured or label themselves,” Smith said. “We just want them to learn, grow and build a community.”
Regarding nutritional values, Smith mentioned that a nutritionist is coming to talk to the girls in the club and that while nutrition is still profound for their general health they take serious precautions when it comes to body-shaming and diet culture.
Alejandra Padilla, the Events Coordinator for the club said that being in the community is the most important part of being involved in the club.
“Most of the girls struggle with having a sense of community and working out alone,” Padilla said. “When you feel alone or unmotivated you just don’t perform to your full potential and may end up not coming to the gym at all.”
A Girl Gains PR co-chair and 2nd place winner of the 2023 Georgia State Powerlifting Championships, Averi Barinowski, shared what she loves the most about being involved in the club.
“I love Girl Gains because it restores our confidence, creates a safe environment and gives me a sense of community to build friendships with other girls who are just as passionate about working out as myself,” Barinowski said.
If you are interested in becoming a Girl Gains member, you can join the club through IM Leagues or check out their Instagram and click the link in their bio.
