Raised by Grace

In honor of Melanoma awareness month, Lifting for Love (LFL) and The Andy Valenta Melanoma Foundation (AVM) are partnering in our first annual “Raised by Grace” online competition. Proceeds from this event will be split between LFL and AVM to support their individual causes. 

The Andy Valenta Melanoma Foundation was founded by Andy’s widow, Caylie Valenta, and fellow Vista firefighter Mark Gaffney in 2022. The Foundation is currently working to form partnerships within the community, with businesses, and with medical professionals to raise funds and strengthen their mission to increase awareness, educate firefighters, and provide skin cancer screenings to fire departments. 

The Lifting for Love organization and the Lifting for Love Annual CrossFit Competition works to raise money for families seeking to add to their family through adoption. Each year, Lifting for Love sponsors families and financially supports their adoption requirements. 

AVM founder Caylie & LFL founder Chelsea were college roommates and, to this day, close friends. In using each other's reach, we hope to strengthen our individual missions and increase awareness through our love of fitness and competition. 

The online competition begins on April 25th, the anniversary of Andy’s passing, and continues until May 12.

Join us today! 

https://avmelanoma.org/

https://www.liftingforlove.com/

Challenge Winners and Prizes

Fastest Overall - Barbell + $50 dollars off LFL Entry Fee

Fastest Female - Min $500 + $50 dollars off LFL Entry Fee

Fastest Male - Min $500 + $50 dollars off LFL Entry Fee

Fire Station with the most entries - 45LB Barbell

Gym with the most entries - 45LB Barbell 

April 25–May 12

Registration Fee: $25

Tees: $25* 

*Tee to be shipped no later than May 24th, in most case we will hand deliver shirts to San Diego County stations.

Challenge & Scoring:

For Time

30 clean & jerks (135/95lb)

*Tie Breaker: Time at 20 C&J

Only one submission per individual, and one attempt per video. Video submissions may not exceed 10 minutes. You must have a valid video submission for your score to be validated, and to win. If you think you will be in the top 2% please be sure to include a video. 

Deadlines and Submissions

Challenge Start Date & Time: April 26 at 9 AM Eastern Standard Time

Challenge Close Date & Time: May 12 at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time*

*Scores cannot be updated or added to the leaderboard following the competition close date and time. Please allow sufficient time for completing and submitting your score and video in advance

Winners will be announced no later than May 20th. 

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT TO QUALIFY:

• Visible Timer in frame - this can be a gym timer, a phone with the timer feature up, or a stopwatch
• Standard 15kg (35LB) or 20kg (45LB) Barbell
• Weight Plates with the weight clearly marked
• Weight Plates with a max of 18" diameter
• Minimum plate increments of 1LB or 0.5kg per side
• Barbell Collars (do not count towards weight)
• Recommended: 10' x 10' clear unobstructed area in which to lift, with no other equipment in the space apart from the bar and plates the athlete will use during their attempts

Permitted Equipment:

• Gym Chalk (magnesium carbonate)
• Weightlifting Belt
• Knee/Elbow Sleeves (single layer only, more than one sleeve on either elbow or knee is NOT permitted) Note - Knees and elbows must remain visible to the camera and not covered by long shorts or sleeves during attempts
• Wrist Supports/Wraps
• Shoes in any style must be worn - olympic lifting shoes allowed
• Olympic Lifting Singlet

NOT Permitted Equipment:

• Tacky of any kind
• Hand Grips of any kind including liquid grip
• Gloves or any type of hand, forearm or bicep coverings
• Sticky Adhesives or grip adhesives of any kind anywhere on the clothing, body, or bar (including spray or other)
• Multiple layers of sleeves/wraps on top of each other
• Lifting Straps of any kind
• Knee Wraps or Elbow Wraps
• Any multi-ply suits including deadlift or powerlifting suits
• Long sleeve pants/shorts that cover the knees/elbows

Any athlete who alters the equipment or movements described in this document or shown in the video standards may be disqualified from the competition.

FLOW

The workout begins with the athlete standing at full extension with the barbell in front of them.

The athlete should be facing 45 degrees to the camera

At the call of 3-2-1-Go and the start of the timer the athlete may reach down to the barbell and start the workout

The clock should begin and then the athlete will record the time taken to complete 30 Clean and Jerks
If the athlete bends down to the barbell or sets up on the barbell before the timer starts, this will be judged as a false start and will result in a 30 second penalty
Time should be taken after the 10th Clean and Jerk
Time will be recorded and submitted based on the completion of the 30th Clean and Jerk

CLEAN AND JERK

During the clean, the barbell begins on the ground and must be lifted from the ground to the shoulders in one motion.

A muscle clean, power clean, split clean, or squat clean may be used, as long as the barbell comes to the rack position on the shoulders.

A press, push press, push jerk or split jerk may be used to get the barbell to the overhead position.

The barbell must pass through the front-rack position before going overhead; snatching is not permitted.

The rep is counted when the barbell is fully locked with the arms, hips, and knees extended and the barbell directly over or slightly behind the middle of the athlete’s body. The feet must be in line under the body.

The athlete may complete touch and go repetitions or singles

Athlete may not try to gain an advantage by driving/bouncing the barbell into the floor
If completing singles the barbell must come to a full rest on the floor before the next repetition begins.

No part of the body other than the feet may touch the ground during the execution of the lift

VIDEO SUBMISSION STANDARDS

All video submissions should be uncut and unedited in order to accurately display the performance. Videos shot with a fisheye lens or similar lens may be rejected due to the visual distortion these lenses cause. Sound should be ON during the filming. Be sure the athlete has adequate space to safely complete the movement and clear the area of all extra equipment, people, or other obstructions so that the video is clear.

The video should be shot from at a 45 degree angle to the athlete ensuring that the video clearly shows the entire body. Critical items that need to be clearly visible on the video:

Scale verification and the weighing of all equipment to be used, regardless of brand
Full body of athlete including feet and the barbell overhead
Next the athlete will need to follow the steps outlined below:

The submitted video should start with the entire athlete in frame stating their name, the challenge name, and their division.
The camera should then clearly show all equipment the athlete will use during their challenge. All of the following must be shown:
Barbell, to include end caps
All weights that are to be used in the challenge - both sides
Plates need to clearly have the weights printed on them
All gear should stay in camera shot during the entire challenge try
The athlete must weigh all equipment on camera, as shown in the challenge demo video.
This process starts with showing scale verification by placing a kettlebell or dumbbell on the scale and showing the scale reading is correct.
Camera must show the barbell and all plates, individually on the scale and the scale reading for each piece of equipment
Required regardless of equipment brand
The camera should move back into the correct 45 degree filming angle for the challenge attempt.
Athlete may load the barbell to the correct weight, showing each plate clearly to the camera.
The final position should capture the barbell from the ground to the overhead position as well as the timer.
The athlete must show the camera all the equipment and supportive equipment they are wearing or will wear for the challenge to confirm it all matches the rules outlined.
Once the athlete is ready they may begin Grace based on the criteria outlined above.
At 3-2-1 Go, the athlete and the clock may start at the same time.
Athlete may not bend down or touch the bar prior to the clock starting
On the completion of the 30th Clean & Jerk the video may end
Judge must record the final time or the last good rep, when the bar is overhead meeting the movement standards listed above.
All of the steps above should be done with the camera continuously running for the video to be accepted.
Failure to show these steps/items could make the video submission subject to rejection at the judge's discretion.
Refer to the demo video on the Lifting for Love website for a visual for how the workout and video should flow.