At 9:30 on a bright Saturday morning in Walgherton, the fields and the lanes are quiet. Inside Wolfpack Fitness, a gym tucked away down a side track, they are counting reps. Kettlebells rise and lock out overhead in timed sets as athletes film their lifts in their first step for a chance to qualify for the International Union of Kettlebell Lifting (IUKL) European Championships.
Across England, a one-month submission window has just opened. Athletes must record competition-standard sets and meet strict repetition targets to earn selection. If they fall short, they can resubmit within the deadline.
Overall, up to ten athletes from this rural Cheshire gym hope to qualify for England’s team in the event which is set to take place on May 14-17 2026. Amy Crump, Laura Grant, Alistair Lee, and their coach, Oli Mell are just a few of the athletes who are training for the event today.
Wolfpack’s kettlebell squad grew out of a post-lockdown class run by gym owner Mell, who has been in the sport since 2011. ‘I just thought, well, I’ll do a kettlebell sports class as well as a normal class and it just took off and it went from there,’ he says.
Within a few years, the gym was contributing a significant portion of England’s squad at international events. Mell, a winner of multiple gold medals and a world record holder, still competes in the Open category despite being eligible for veterans. He admits his focus now is on preparing athletes for the European stage. ‘They’re not here to show up, they’re here to compete,’ he says. ‘They’re here to be competitive.’
Laura Grant preparing for her qualifying set.
Kettlebell sport is highly technical, with strict rules governing timing, fixation, and repetition counts. Events range from shorter lifts to endurance disciplines such as the pentathlon, which involves five back-to-back lifts with timed rest intervals. ‘There are rules and regulations to what you have to do and how you do it,’ says Crump. Qualification requires meeting exact rep targets under judging standards.
Grant, who both lifts and judges, says she is looking forward to the European Championships being closer to home. Last year she competed across three federations, meaning little downtime between events. ‘There’s no off season,’ says Lee. ‘You’re constantly sort of training for the next comp.’ Grant agrees: ‘There’s no down time.’
Training is intensive and year-round. Asked why they do it without pay, the answer is simple. ‘The shiny medal,’ Crump says, laughing. ‘It’s also a community,’ she adds.
Laura Grant and Amy Crump film their qualifying reps.
Unlike some European teams, England’s lifters are largely self-funded, with a common route being to hold their own fundraising events within local communities.
‘The travelling’s nice, but it’s also very expensive because obviously we’re not funded so we have to pay for everything.’ Grant says. In fact, the list is extensive, from podiums to medals and trophies, food, and accommodation for judging.
Entry fees, flights, and accommodation can cost thousands of pounds. Although hosting the European Championships in York reduces travel costs this year it also brings its own expenses. ‘Competitions aren’t free,’ Grant says. ‘You have to pay to enter as well.’
Mell says sponsorship is crucial if the sport is to grow. He believes visibility is key. ‘It’s a sad part of the sport that what you can afford is a factor,’ he says. ‘You need to have a platform where you can watch a sport that’s online,’ he says. ‘Somewhere you can follow the lifters, so people can follow the dramas and the story lines.’
In his own time, Lee has developed a live scoring system that calculates points in real time, factoring in different kettlebell weights and coefficients — something previously difficult for spectators to follow. ‘Most competitors don’t know until the Awards who’s won,’ he says of older systems.
His software links to live-stream broadcasts and will be used at upcoming international competitions, including New York. May’s European Championships in York will also be live-streamed on YouTube. ‘You might get 50 to 20,000 people watching it across the world, ’Mell says. ‘But you need to add another zero on that to really get the sport where you want it to go.’
Wolfpack Fitness moved to Walgherton in search of space, an easier commute for its members, and community. ‘The village has been really welcoming,’ Mell says about Wybunbury. ‘The membership’s never been higher since we moved.’
The athletes also value the countryside setting. ‘Love it,’ says Grant.
Plans are in place to build an outdoor training area with recovery facilities. Mell, who is an ex-marine, has always favoured open-air training, who did as much outside in the woods, and on hills as well as the gym. ‘It’s a different mindset to training,’ he says. He adds that the gym’s clientele are really supportive of each other.
‘This is very much a typical Saturday. You had the class earlier, then you have people doing PT, you know, people's kids in the corner playing and you have people lifting. It’s very inclusive.’
Laura Grant and Amy Crump outside Wolfpack Fitness in Walgherton.
Even Mell’s striking black labrador, Raven, wanders in and out contentedly, and is affectionately lifted by Crump at one point. ‘I've been doing it since she was a puppy. I'll always pick her up.’ She says.
One of the gym’s inspirational slogans.
England’s final squad will be confirmed once qualification videos are judged. At a national level, around 40 to 50 athletes are in contention. For Wolfpack’s lifters, the focus remains on hitting their numbers this month.
Asked what he is looking forward to most at the European Championships, Mell doesn’t hesitate. ‘Winning!’ he says.
In a quiet corner of rural Cheshire, that ambition is being tested rep by rep, on camera, under pressure, and with Europe in sight.