Obviously everyone is aware of the latest COVID19 restrictions put in place by the PHO: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/restrictions
Our Treasurer Samantha Agtarap wrote & started the change.org petition Keep BC's Gyms Open that now has over 35,000 signatures and growing: https://www.change.org/p/allow-small-independent-gyms-in-bc-to-open
We are actively working alongside our registered clubs to explore all options to allow gyms to safely operate without breaking any government mandates, but we'd like to clarify a few points in order to ensure everyone's safety as well as our continued pursuit of making 'Functional Fitness' a recognized Sport in BC and the world.
From the PHO website link above as of Dec 23 2022:
It is important to note that Functional Fitness is not (yet) a Canadian Sport Institute recognized sport. That is the point and goal of these governing bodies including us (The PSO) The BC Functional Fitness Sports Association, and our NSO the Canadian Functional Fitness Federation.
The process to become a recognized sport takes years, and we're already over 2 years deep into that process - but please do NOT continue to operate your facility claiming to be training in the sport of Functional Fitness (and especially not CrossFit - as we've explained many times before that's a company, not a sport) because we do NOT have that designation, and using that as reason to stay open will only hurt our cause.
To support the growth of the sport for future pandemics, as well as to ensure that our voices as boutique Functional Fitness Clubs and studios can be heard, we encourage you to register your club and it's athletes asap: www.bcffsa.org/register
Again, this will not give you permission to continue operations based on the latest lockdowns, but it will allow us to continue putting in the work required to get Sport recognized status in the future, and reap all the benefits of it long term.
For those who are registered BC Weightlifting Clubs with BC Weightlifting certified coaches - we encourage you to contact them to discuss your options to continue training in the sport of Weightlifting. You can read the updated 'return to sport' from Viasport here.
Please register your club, and your athletes, to help support the continued development of Functional Fitness as an officially recognized Sport, so that we can have a voice in the future.
Simon Damborg BCFFSA President info@bcfunctionalfitness.org