If you’d have told a young Lynette Didur that she’d be a fitness instructor and competing in athletic competitions, she would have laughed.
“I always tried to do the least as possible,” said the now-fitness instructor and kettlebell competitor about gym class.
But later in high school, a bodybuilding friend introduced her to fitness. She got involved in different types of dances like belly, ballroom and Zumba.
“Everything pretty much from the end of high school onwards was physical activity,” said Didur. “A blur of gym and fitness and just becoming a healthy-minded individual.”
She taught her first fitness class at 19 and said it’s been a great ride of learning from clients and engaging in different activities over 20-plus years.
Didur has been leading fitness classes for 10 years in Rankin Inlet, trying several activities such as kickboxing and boot camps, and now doing kettlebell.
“For a non-competitive person, it was more attainable,” said Didur, comparing it to dance and having to hit certain numbers.
Competitive kettlebell marathons can last for 30 or 60 minutes, doing a set number of repetitions with the correct form, she said.
“As a pharmacy tech, I love numbers,” said Didur, who originally came to Rankin Inlet in that profession and has since started a young family here.
“I love doing formulas in my head. I love the science behind it. Kettlebell sport, you have numbers, you have coefficients, you have to hit certain repetitions per minute. That’s all up my alley.”
It’s like her dance world, but better.
The hardest part is the mentality, she said, and not zoning out during the long performances. Didur likes to feed on the crowd’s energy and smile around at competitions.
On Aug. 12 in Toronto, Didur will compete for a spot on Team Canada for Kettlebell Sport. She’s doing a half-marathon and a one-arm long cycle with a 16 kg kettlebell. It’s all strength and endurance training, she says, and it will be the first time she can compete in-person instead of online.
“To be able to go in-person, they’ll actually see how well you perform under pressure, see how well you perform with other people on the side of you,” said Didur.
“Because if you do end up going to Europe to compete in the worlds, they have competitions all the time at different times so one person could be doing a five-minute, you could be doing a 10-minute and there could be a marathon beside you, and you need to be able to show that you can keep to your lane, do what you need to do, remember what you’re doing, work with your nerves and represent Canada the best possible way.”
If she makes it on the national team, she has a year from August to attend a world’s competition.
Kettlebell has exploded in popularity in the last decade, she said, adding that women tend to enjoy it because it’s endurance-based cardio that builds strength.
As a fitness instructor, her specialty is inclusivity. She’s adamant that no matter one’s circumstances, whether it’s impairment or injury, there’s a way they can work out their body positively.
“I can’t be told no,” she said.
Anyone can start small, after all.
“There is no competition in fitness,” said Didur. “You’re being the best that you can be and there’s nobody else competing with you.”
ᐅᖃᐅᑎᒍᕕᐅᒃ ᓕᓇᑦ ᑎᑐ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᓇᔭᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᖃᐃᓕᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓚᖃᕋᓱᖃᑕᐅᓂᖓᓂᒃ, ᐃᓚᑐᐃᓇᕋᔭᖅᑐᖅ.
‘ᐱᓇᓱᒃᐸᒃᑲᒪ ᐊᒃᓱᓗᐊᖑᖏᑦᑐᖅ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᖃᐃᓕᓴᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᓚᖃᕋᓱᖃᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᐅᕿᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑭᕕᒃᓯᓂᖅ.
ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐅᐊᑎᐊᕈᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᖓ, ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᔭᕋᕐᒪ ᐱᔪᒪᓕᖅᑎᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖕᖓ ᐃᖃᓇᐃᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑎᒥᑯᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᒍ. ᒧᒥᖅᑎᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᒋᓪᓗᓂ.
‘ᑭᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᒥᑦ ᐅᒻᒪᕇᓇᐅᔭᕋᒪ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑎᑐ. ᐃᖃᐃᓕᓴᕆᐊᖅᐸᒃᖢᖓ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓕᓗ.’
ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᑎᑦᑎᒋᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐃᖃᐃᓕᓴᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ 19-ᓂᒃ ᐅᕌᒍᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᕙᓕᐊᖏᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᕈᓘᔭᖅᐸᒃᖢᓂ ᑭᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᕌᒍᑦ 20 ᐊᓂᒍᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᖅ.
ᑎᑐ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᖃᐃᓕᓴᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᕌᒍᑦ 10 ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᓂ, ᐆᒃᑐᕈᓘᔭᖅᐸᒃᖢᓂ ᑐᒡᒐᐃᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᑎᑦᑎᕈᓗᔭᖅᖢᓂ , ᓐᓇ ᐅᕿᖏᑦᑐᓕᕆᓕᖅᑐᖅ.
‘ᓴᓚᖃᕋᓱᓗᐊᖅᐸᖏᓐᓇᒥ ᐊᓯᒥᓂ, ᐃᓚᐅᑐᐃᓐᓇᓚᐅᕋᒥ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑎᑐ., ᒧᒥᕐᓂᑎᑐ ᑕᐅᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᖢᓂᐅᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᐅᓴᐅᖏᓇᕆᐊᖃᖅᖢᓂ.
ᐅᕿᖏᑦᑐᓕᒋᓂᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᐃᓐᓇᕐᓗᓂ ᐃᑲᕐᕋᖅ ᑎᑭᑦᑐᓐᓇᕐᒪᑦ, ᒪᓕᑦᑎᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓗᒍ ᒪᓕᒋᐊᓕᒃ, ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ.
‘ᓂᐅᕕᖅᑎᐅᓪᓗᖓ, ᓇᐃᓴᐅᓯᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᒐᒃᑯ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑎᑐ, ᑎᑭᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᓄᑦ, ᑕᐅᑲᓃ ᓄᓇᖃᐃᓐᓇᓕᖅᖢᓂ ᖃᑕᖑᑎᖃᓕᖅᖢᓂᓗ.
ᓇᐃᓴᐅᓯᕆᓪᓗᖓ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᕋ. ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᓗ. ᐅᕿᖏᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᓇᐃᓴᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᖃᖅᑐᑎᑦ, ᓇᐃᓴᐃᖏᓇᕆᐊᖃᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ. ‘ᐱᔪᒪᔭᑯ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ.’
ᒧᒥᕐᓂᖅ ᓱᕐᓗ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᓐᓂᖅᓴᖅ.
ᐊᔪᕐᓇᓛᖅ ᐃᓱᒪᒧᑦ, ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ, ᐃᓱᓗᓗᐊᖏᓪᓗᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᓂᓐᓂ. ᑎᑐ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᓕᒃ ᐅᐃᒪᔮᒃᖢᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᖓᑲᑕᕈᓘᔭᖅᖢᓂ.
ᐋᒍᓯ 12-ᒥ ᑐᕌᓐᑐᒥ, ᑎᑐ ᐃᓚᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᕐᓗᓂ ᐱᖑᐊᕆᐊᖅᑐᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᐅᕿᖏᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᖅ. ᓴᖏᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᔪᒪᓂᖅ ᑕᒡᕙᐅᖤᕈᓂ, ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ, ᐅᖃᕆᓪᓗᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᕆᓂᐊᕐᒪᔾᔪᒃ ᐱᖑᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᖃᑕᐅᓂᖅ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᑰᖏᑦᑐᖅ.
‘ᐃᓚᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕈᓐᓇᕐᒪᖔᖅᐱᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᖑᐊᖃᑎᒋᔭᕐᓂᒃ.’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑎᑐ.
‘ᓱᖃᐃᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᐅᓯᑳᓚᕋᔭᕐᓂᕈᕕᑦ ᑕᕆᐅᑉ ᐊᑭᐊᓂᙵᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᖑᐊᖅᑎᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᓪᓚᑦᑖᖅᐸᖕᒪᑕ ᐱᕕᒃᑐᒻᒪᕆᖕᒥᑦ ᐱᖑᖅᐸᒃᖢᑎᒃ. ᑕᑯᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᕐᓇᕐᒪᑦ ᒪᓕᑦᑎᐊᕋᓗᐊᕐᒪᖔᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᓕᖕᓂᑦ, ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᓕᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᒍ, ᑲᓇᑕᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᒍ.’
ᐃᓚᐅᓂᐊᕈᓂ ᐱᖑᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᕋᒍᖃᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ ᓴᓚᖃᕋᓱᒃᑐᓄᖓᐅᓂᐊᕈᓂ.
ᐅᕿᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᐅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐱᖑᐊᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᐅᖅᐳᖅ, ᐊᕐᓇᑦ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᓪᓗᓂᒡᔪᒃ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᕋᒥ.
ᐃᖃᐃᓕᓴᕐᓕᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᐅᓪᓗᖓ, ᖃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐅᒃᐱᕆᔭᖃᕋᒥ. ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᓄᐃᒃᑲᓗᐅᕈᕕᑦ, ᐊᓐᓂᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ, ᐊᕿᒍᑎᒃᓴᖅᑕᖃᖅᐸᖕᒪᑦ ᑎᒥᓂ ᐊᑐᑦᑎᐊᕈᒪᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ.
‘ᐅᖃᐅᔭᐅᔪᓇᖏᑐᖓ ᐋᒃᑲᒥᒃ,; ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ.
ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ.