SoCal Weightlifting Fire Update
I want to first say how overwhelmed Sarah and I are by the outpouring of support and love from the entire Weightlifting community. The hundreds of messages from this community, offering places for our athletes to train, lending support and guidance as we navigate through this…It means the world to us, and we are truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful community. Thank you, Matt, JP, Pedro, Mike, Will, and the entire team at @USAWeightlifting, who have all reached out to us offering their support and services.
We are still trying to get back to all the calls, texts, emails, and DM’s that poured in. I cannot thank all of you enough for stepping up when we need it most.
As you can see from the photos, we were the lucky ones. The 100+ firefighters from five different departments who were on the scene did an incredible job protecting our business to the best of their ability. SoCal Weightlifting suffered a minimal amount of actual damage from the fire. Most of our damage is from the smoke and then the water damage from putting the fire out. The other two tenants were not as lucky.
I spent all day on site working with the fire department, the landlord and the city figuring out next steps. With the little information I was able to gather, it is definitely clear that the building will be condemned until further notice. The roof collapse creates too much risk and must be dealt with immediately before we are allowed to begin the clean up process. Once we are able to regain entry, after Nationals, we will attempt to salvage as much as we can and then begin the process of rebuilding.
Now the real hurdles begin…displaced athletes (already calling themselves SoCal Orphans), insurance claims, relocating into a new space, salvaging what we can and much more.
There’s no two ways about, this is a significant hit to our business, our lives and the community we have built. But if there’s one thing I know to be true is that we will rise out of this. We’ve been knocked on our ass many times before and have always built back better, stronger & smarter.
A community is not defined by the four walls we train in. It is about the people that you can count on, lean on and know that they are here for you, because you are here for them. For over ten years, Sarah and I have put every ounce of our being into pursuing excellence in the sport of Weightlifting. From athlete & coach development, building career pathways, pursuing high performance and most importantly using the barbell to positively impact as many lives as we can.
To the weightlifting community, we are looking at tens of thousands of dollars in damages and setbacks. Yes, we have insurance and that will cover the damages and lost equipment, but we are realistically looking at many months before we get any reimbursement.
Our plan is to get into a new space, keep our staff employed and cover the operational costs while we rebuild.
The mission doesn’t stop.
Our members and this community are too important.
We may have been dealt a hard blow, but we are not going to let this define who we are or the mission we set out to achieve.
If you would like to donate, whether that’s directly or through buying a shirt, we appreciate your support!
The pre-order for the shirts will last through the end of the month and close on June 30th. We will get them printed immediately and shipped out as soon as they are back to us.
Best of luck to all the athletes competing this coming week at Nationals, we’ll see you there!
With gratitude,
Chris Amenta
SoCal Fire Shirt Fundraiser Pre-Order
The pre-order for the shirts will last through the end of the month and close on June 30th. We will get them printed immediately and shipped out as soon as they are back to us.
Why SoCal Weightlifting is the right fit for you
athlete-focused
Creating an environment and program for you to thrive and achieve your goals; whether that is technical proficiency or winning a national championship.
Community
Fostering care and a team mindset while committing to your personal success. We are here for more than just weightlifting, we’re here for each other too.
coaching
Providing you with the best coaches Orange County has to offer. Full-time, professional weightlifting coaches focused on getting you to your goals.
