Balanced Mitch 2024 Open Recap

The Balanced Mitch 2024 Open, which took place May 30–June 5, brought a new twist on the Mitch that required as much strategy as it did strength. The event hit a new record of 67 athletes registered and did not disappoint. 

In the Balanced Mitch workout, competitors had two minutes to complete a maximum number of unbroken bench press reps at a designated weight (185 pounds for men, 95 pounds for women), followed by a maximum number of strict unbroken pull-ups. The athlete’s overall score for the competition was the lowest rep count of the two exercises.

The Donor Games were created to dispel the myth that donating a kidney impairs a person’s fitness level. In this Open, the top finisher in the men’s donor category outperformed all general athletes, further demonstrating that donating a kidney does not impair a person’s health or fitness.

Donor Games veteran Garet Hil found himself back on the top of the men’s donor category for the ninth time in his Donor Games career, but not without competition. He took the lead early with a score of 13, only to see Mike Ramsey take the helm on a tiebreaker. Hil separated himself from the pack after posting an imposing score of 21, the best of any competitor in the field. With the next four athletes all within a single point of each other, a logjam for the remaining top spots developed.

Mike Ramsey and Justin King both put up impressive scores of 13, but it was Ramsey who edged out King by one rep to take home second place. Jason Elmore and liver donor Tommy Sullivan tied for fourth place, finishing only one point behind Ramsey and King. The men’s donor category saw more athletes post scores in the double digits than any other group in the field.

The women’s donor category saw some last-minute fireworks on the leaderboard, with great competitors jockeying for the top spot. Donor Games superstar Mimi Mahon had the lead for the majority of the event with a score of 9, but McKenzie Hull had something to say about that. Hull surged past Mahon with a score of 12, taking the lead temporarily on the last day of competition. Roni Hays then pushed Mahon down to third place after she hung a score of 10 on the leaderboard, but Mahon had one last attempt on the final night of the competition. When the dust settled, it was Mimi Mahon who reigned victorious, beating McKenzie Hull on a tiebreaker. Hull finished the competition in second place, with Roni Hays right behind her in third. First-year athlete Emmy Spencer Probasco performed well and ended up in fourth, and Courtney Cox rounded out the top five with a fifth-place finish.

Joe Curry won the men’s recipient category in his first-ever competition. He did the workout with his donor, Brandon Cullen, with both athletes turning in strong performances. Curry won the division, but not without a relentless pursuit by Wilson Du. Du submitted four attempts, improving on each one. Du’s last attempt put him within a point of the lead, but he fell just shy of the top spot. First-time competitor Leo Draham, a liver recipient, finished third in the field, and longtime Donor Games participant Scott Claybrook was back from injury with a fourth-place finish.

Nicki Mahon secured the win in the women’s transplant recipient division. With the support of her daughter, Mimi, she willed her way to first place. Her top finish was followed by first-time competitor Kim Couch in second, Merrill Walker in third, and Bridget Hargot-Ramsey in fourth. 

Greg Holt won the men’s general group with a spectacular score of 20. Holt held off rookie Mason Holmes, who was right on his heels at 19.

It was great to see the 2013 “Fittest Woman on Earth” back in the field at the Donor Games. Sam Briggs dominated the competition in the women’s general category with an outstanding score of 19 to lock in her win. We saw some sibling rivalry between twin sisters Kiana and Shanell Sullenberger, with Kiana beating out Shanell by one pull-up rep to take fourth place in the category.

Final Leaderboard

* Athlete performed a modified workout.
DNC: Athlete registered but did not complete the workout

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