A place of their own

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Six years ago, Gleichen born-and-raised Andrew Bolinger heard tittle-tattle of a parking lot where, on Sundays, individuals gathered to flip 600 lbs tires, lift hundreds of pounds worth of kegs, and drag weight-laden sleds. Intrigued by the rumour, the then 22 year old abandoned his homemade equipment and began training with said strongmen in the Calgary parking lot.
Over time, the group moved from place to place, outgrowing each space along the way until Bolinger rented a bay at the Smash gym. As demand grew and more than 60 individuals squeezed into the space, the now 28-year-old strongman, who took third place in the light-heavyweight pro level at the Alberta’s Strongest Man 2015 competition, began scanning the real estate listings every night for a year.
After feeling unwelcomed and unwanted for years, the strongman community pooled their expertise and lent a hand over the last two months to help Bolinger achieve his dream of opening up a gym that caters to his team of strongmen – The Strength Edge.
“Strongman started in a parking lot in a self-storage facility, and it almost died, so when there were only a few of us left, at that point I thought OK and started looking for a place to rent,” Bolinger recalled.
“We didn’t have anywhere else to go, and it was getting really annoying. There are a few people that have been with me since the beginning, they get it, and they’re really devoted and they helped a ton. They’re really willing to put the extra effort in, because they’ve seen that the only way that we have a place to train is if we make it ourselves. No one is going to do it except for us.”
Bolinger, a control systems engineer, accumulated three Sea-Cans full of equipment over the past six years. That distinctive equipment, which includes 800 lbs tires, atlas stones ranging from 70 lbs to over 400 lbs, 220 lbs kegs, and yoke walk – a large metal frame with a crossbar that can carry up to 1000 lbs – is now housed, along with regular gym equipment, in the facility which just had its official opening.
With the help of the gym members, some who donated their time to paint the ceiling with 70 gallons of paint, take care of the electrical, create tasteful graffiti on the walls, or tear down drywall, strongman and powerlifting athletes now have an optimal place to train.
“None of us are wanted at normal gyms and we have nowhere to go,” said Paul Binette, who was among the original strongman athletes training in the parking lot. “We get kicked out all the time for breaking stuff and bending bars. It’s not normal so it’s nice to have like-minded people to draw off of. It’s been a long process, and everybody kind of pitched in. These are people you would never interact with otherwise and then this thing has brought us all together and we have a common goal. We’re a family, and this means a lot to all of us.”
Bolinger grew up on a farm in Gleichen where he was inspired to lift weight and train as a strongman after being presented with everyday farming challenges like lifting a bag of seed or barrel of Roundup. It’s the day-to-day implication of the sport that attracted Binette as well, who is a tradesman by profession.
While The Strength Edge facility was necessary for the 50 committed athletes, getting the project off the ground was no picnic. Bolinger recalled late 2 a.m. nights where he continued with the demolition and clean up of the former office building. However, according to Bolinger, seeing the art, equipment and excitement from the athletes and the public validated his efforts.
The facility, which is located in Northeast Calgary, also has a rehabilitation room and hopes to attract Olympic weightlifting in the future.
For general information and details about memberships contact Bolinger at thestrengthedge@gmail.com.