Kilo Coalition was originally formed in 2017 by Bryan & Aletheia under the name East Hampton Strength. They were originally a team of 3 who simply wanted a team name to lift under at local meets. Bryan & Aletheia grew the sport of Olympic weightlifting in their community, bringing local, unsanctioned meets to East Hampton and showing others that lifting weights isn’t just about speed and strength, but about technique and mastery.
With the team setting numerous state records & winning national gold medals, Bryan & Aletheia had a vision of bringing Olympic weightlifting to the next level in Middlesex County. With the availability of space opening in nearby Middletown, they jumped on the opportunity to bring the team to a larger city where they could reach more people in hopes of educating them about the art of the sport.
Bryan & Aletheia now own and operate Kilo Coalition out of Middletown, CT, where they hope to expand their team to not only those who want to improve their strength, speed and power, but to those who want to rise by lifting others.
Aletheia Stratos, owner
Certifications: USAW Level 2 Coach, LWC Referee, Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Coach, AED/CPR/First Aid
Academic Achievements: BA in Psychology - UMASS Amherst, M.Ed. in Education - Westfield State University
Aletheia discovered her passion for Olympic Lifting in 2013 when she began CrossFit. She loved barbell workouts and how empowered they made her feel. It developed a desire to learn all the things related to Olympic lifting.
Her eye for detail, her love for proper mechanics and dedication to helping people learn correct technique is what makes Aletheia a great coach for all athletes, whether they are just beginning or are seasoned competitors who want to progress further. She has a non-threatening, educating coaching style that our athletes connect with and enjoy learning under. She has a love for this sport and it shows with the time poured into each athlete to help them reach their goals.
Aletheia currently holds the CT State Records for Snatch, Clean & Jerk and Total in the M35 87KG class, Clean & Jerk and Total in Senior 87KG Class, and most recently placed second at the Pan American Master’s Championship in W35 76KG Group.
Bryan Polsonetti, owner
Certifications: USAW Level 2 Coach, LWC Referee, CrossFit Olympic Weightlifting Certification, CrossFit Level 2 Trainer, AED/CPR/First Aid
Academic Achievements: Doctor of Pharmacy - MA College of Pharmacy
Olympic weightlifting movements are among the fastest in sport and require precision, balance, coordination, strength, power and dedication. Bryan was introduced to Olympic Weightlifting 10 years ago and immediately fell in love. The lifts looked “simple” but something about them clearly demanded respect. What followed was a decade of learning, practicing, competing and coaching.
Bryan has learned from and been coached by some of the best in the business. With a keen eye for “seeing” the movement and creating effective programs, he has excelled as a coach for both new and seasoned lifters alike. In addition to coaching adults, Bryan started the Girls Youth Weightlifting team at Kilo Coalition (formerly East Hampton Strength), a successful group of young ladies with several CT state records and National qualifying totals.
James McCormick, coach
Certifications: USAW Level 2 Coach, LWC Referee, AED/CPR/First Aid
Academic Achievements:
Jim started Olympic weightlifting like so many, with CrossFit in 2015, and struggled from day one. At 42 years old, unable to sit in a squat, poor overhead mobility, and being 6’2” he has long levers. That only gave him more drive to improve, and he went from fearing the barbell to loving it. Once Aletheia and Bryan started Kilo Coalition back in 2017, Jim jumped at the opportunity to improve his lifts and signed up.
Working with Aletheia he started to understand the technical aspects of the lifts, and the structured programing as well as how to balance patience and aggression when lifting. He competed in his first sanctioned weightlifting meet in 2018.
In 2019, Bryan started a youth team, made up of middle school aged girls which included both Jim and Bryan’s daughters. Almost immediately after, Jim decided to become a coach. Initially it was to help share his love for the sport with his daughter, but then he realized he loved coaching and helping the girls develop strength, confidence and grow in the sport.
