# @pvellner on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DaGXVfVCQtq
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67192436-pvellner-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/fe27fb9e31.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-27T18:30:18.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Vellnerd (@PVellner) — https://gondola.cc/PVellner

## Caption

#SaturdayStorytime - Team Work
I told this story on thegirlsunfilteredpodcast the other day so I figured we’ll throw it up here.
2016 I got invited to the invitational for the first time, and we were hosting in Canada. Sort of a bummer for me because I was living in Toronto at the time. I had heard a LOT of stories about the 2015 event in Madrid so I had to hide my disappointment when I finally got the very exclusive invite only for them to say “oh yeah we’re doing it at your house”. I digress. At least i got to drive and still go to classes all week 😂.
fikowski and i were coming off 4th and 3rd place finishes at the games. Full of promise and there was some thought that maybe we could lift the team to a home town win. Did NOT happen that way. We got crunched. We hit some road blocks and I think we took last in the first 2 events. Midway through we hit a stride and scored a bit but we were out of contention going into the last event. All we could do was play spoiler. 
As it happens it was also mich_letendre last competition, so we decided to shoot for the stars. I don’t remember the whole workout but it ended with a bunch of synchro jump overs and a pile of worm thrusters. Our plan was to try and pull ahead on the jumps then hang on for dear life on the worm.
We were nailing it. Got to the worm in a tight race for 1/2 and went for it, full focus. Next thing I know I’m fighting for my life. Feels like doing 155lbs thrusters. I’m getting buried in the bottom, worm hitting my butt, I’m barely keeping up. I try like hell to hang on but eventually call for a drop. Europe pulls ahead and we come in second.
I collapse across the line and say “man those thrusters were WAY harder than i expected”. Brent looks down at me, standing tall, and says, “I felt great I could have done 100 of those”
I beat Brent at the games by like 2 points and in that moment I thought damn, you took your off season too seriously and you need to get back to work or you’re about to get lapped.
The next day I’m back in class and I get a message from Brent. He sends me the photo here and says “hey I figured out why your thrusters were hard. sorry about that”. 
(Continued in comments)

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 4,525
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 39

## Tags

saturdaystorytime

---
Copyright (c) Gondola