In the words of Obi Wan Kenobi: "Hello there!" This is my second year doing Pull for Pride, and with your help, I hope we can make a positive change for some very deserving organizations.
Part of this event is to deadlift pound for dollar what you raise. Don't worry-- I'll be doing the heavy lifting; if you can help me with the contribution!
Last year I competed in the 2018 Pull for Pride event in San Diego with the goal of raising $1500 for The Sunburst Youth Housing Program, and my goal for myself was to have 3 lifts that were over 500 lbs. While I fell short on the fundraising, I did raise more than I initially expected, and my total was way over 1500 lbs. (Including a PR at 573.2 lbs. / 260 kg.); but most importantly, $9,986 was raised for the organization against a $5,000 goal.
This year, I plan on raising $1,710; I plan on lifting 1,710 lbs. over 3 pulls: 525 lbs., 585 lbs., 600 lbs.; and I plan on helping Pull for Pride Oakland (as well as the national organization) crush their fundraising goals.
About Trans Lifeline, the Benefitting Organization: Pull for Pride Oakland is benefitting Trans Lifeline, a national trans-led organization dedicated to improving the quality of trans lives by responding to the critical needs of the community with direct service, material support, advocacy, and education. Their vision is to fight the epidemic of trans suicide and improve overall life-outcomes of trans people by facilitating justice-oriented, collective community aid.
About Women's Strength Coalition (Organizer): Their mission is to build stronger communities through increased access to strength training. They envision a world where everyone has equal opportunity to express their voice and embrace their power.
About Pull for Pride (Event): The deadlift, for the uninitiated, involves stepping up behind a loaded barbell, grasping the bar, standing up with the weight, and setting it back down on the ground. It is a simple lift that is imbued with meaning: coming forward to face a challenge, and succeeding through the simple mechanism of one’s own strength. In accordance with their mission of using our collective strength to benefit the world in a meaningful way, The Women’s Strength Coalition’s June 2019 Pull for Pride Fundraiser will benefit select organizations that provide direct support to the LGBTQ+ community.
About Gabriel DeVine: Professionally, I am a personal trainer that is dedicated to helping others achieve their health and fitness goals through an evidence based approach that includes nutrition counseling, wellness coaching, and a powerbuilding application to training that combines bodybuilding and powerlifting. Training out of my private studio in Los Angeles, CA, I've helped countless people live a healthier life.
Personally, I'm a member of the LGBTQ community (The "B" does not stand for "Babadook"), I'm a natural powerbuilder (power lifter / bodybuilder), an avid video game console collector (catalog of "The DeVine Collection" available online), wacky husband, and loving parent to 3 of the cutest furbabies you've ever seen.
