Rella changed her last name about a decade ago when a divorce, memories of bullying, and feelings of being different took a toll on her mental health.
The change marked a shift toward who she is now, Rella says, but previous experiences of dancing, karate, and endurance sports gave her the rhythm and resilience to lift kettlebells.
“Kettlebells definitely saved my life,” she says. “I can cry before stepping onto a platform and then step off a platform as happy as possible. It just gives you that ‘now’ moment where nothing else matters.”
The sport has a long history in Eastern Europe and is steadily growing in Australia, according to governing body Girevoy Sport Australia, which says about 340 people are now involved, up from about 37 four years ago.
The federation’s acting president, Cheryl Schneider, says Rella’s inspirational performance and contribution to the sport is “unparalleled, particularly for Victorian strength athletes during lockdown”.
About 70 percent of Australian kettlebell athletes are women. Rella was among seven women to represent Australia at the World Championships this month. “Men are more built for the one-rep max, while women are just built for resilience,” she says.
Although Girevoy Sport is pushing for making kettlebell lifting an Olympic sport, Rella has no dreams of adding an Olympic medal to her collection. However, she wants the sport to expand to an amateur level.
“I think it’s a fantastic sport for everyone,” she says. “I would love to get some people with disabilities into the sport and get kids to develop it because we have some great champions.”
If you are concerned about anything in this story, you can contact Lifeline on 131 114.
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