I've watched this series of threads for long enough and it seems abundantly clear that this was never intended as a simple question-and-answer thread. It's a vehicle for discussion, as Paul said about a page back. And I for one, have found it valuable.
I'm not atypical of many on this forum, in that I am
- a newbie to powerlifting
- a wannabe competitor one day
- hundreds of kilometers from the nearest person interested in this stuff
Hence, ausbb is pretty much my sole source of perspective and "industry knowledge", beyond the mere technical issues. And I am bloody thankful that vonfram88 has persisted in framing this discussion, on a topic upon which I had no perspective until now. And for his continuing to play the ball rather than the man, despite every provocation otherwise.
D1ck0 and Spartacus have already alluded to the value of these threads as a vehicle for discussion. I want to add my voice to that. As a result of these threads, I've picked up
- A perspective that if I competed with PA, it could give me some "drug-free cred", if I ever felt I needed it
- the realisation that I'm not alone in being unwilling to join PA because of its exclusive-association clause.
- A sense of wasted opportunity, that PA could have been a vehicle to confer drug-free cachet on many more powerlifters regardless of their chosen affiliation
- A sense of frustration that if PA dropped its exclusive-association clause, I could compete in GPC/CAPO/PA events, be seen to be drug-free, and have more events == more fun.
I've also come to realise that if the broader community comes to perceive powerlifting as a drug-infested sport there will be real effects, even at the grass-roots level where I hang out. Quite possibly there will be no point in my trying to evangelise the sport in my community; the BBQ conversations will turn to drugs instead of courage and personal growth. Parents will be even less inclined to let their children start lifting weights.
In the worst case I (all of us, of course) will be tainted with the stain of drug use and my children will get teased in the playground. I've certainly observed that BBQ talk about cycling quickly turns to drugs in recent months.
So I've been disappointed to observe the snide attacks coming from high-achieving senior figures in the sport. I expected something more, even on an internet forum, from moderators and role models whom I expected would hold themselves above that stuff. What we write here will be cached somewhere and searchable for the rest of our lives.
