Iron and Mettle, San Francisco’s first women’s strength training gym, raised more than $31,000 for Planned Parenthood Action Fund through its fourth annual Bench Press for Abortion Access competition, held October 24 at its Noe Valley studio.
The event marks a major milestone for the independently owned gym, which has now raised more than $90,000 for abortion access organizations over the past four years, benefiting the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP), The Brigid Alliance, and, most recently, Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
This year’s competition brought together 49 female-identifying lifters who tested their strength on the bench press while raising money through individual sponsorships. Each participant had three attempts to lift their heaviest weight, with friends, family, and community members donating to support the cause.
Among the standout performances was Zanna Rosenquist, who recorded the heaviest bench press of the day at an impressive 180 pounds.
The competition also featured a kids’ heat, including 11-year-old Cleo Karson, who has participated in all four events since the fundraiser began. This year, Karson bench pressed 42.5 pounds, a reminder that the event is about much more than lifting the heaviest weight. It’s about bringing generations together around strength, community, and a shared cause.
For Iron and Mettle founder Danielle Repetti, the fundraiser is deeply personal.
“Abortion access has always been personal to me. Growing up, my mom shared her experience of becoming pregnant as a teenager while in an abusive relationship, and how having access to abortion gave her the ability to make a decision about her own future. I’ve had close friends who’ve had abortions, too. The reality is that almost everyone knows someone who has had one, whether they realize it or not. It’s not always an easy decision, but it should always be their decision to make.”
Repetti founded Iron and Mettle in 2019 to create a space where women could feel comfortable, capable, and confident getting stronger. The gym operates without mirrors or scales, emphasizing strength, skill development, and community over appearance.
That same community has become the driving force behind the annual fundraiser, which has raised more than $60,000 in the last two years alone.
“To see our little gym community come together year after year and raise over $90,000 for something so important is honestly incredible,” says Repetti. “We’re a small, independently owned gym, but we’ve shown that when women come together, we can make a significant impact. And we get to lift some really heavy weights while doing it!”
With four successful competitions behind them and nearly six figures raised for abortion access, Iron and Mettle plans to continue the annual tradition and build on its fundraising efforts in the years ahead.
Founded in 2019, Iron and Mettle is San Francisco’s first women’s strength training gym, located in the Noe Valley neighborhood. The independently owned studio specializes in semi-private strength training and personal training, with an emphasis on progressive strength programming, inclusive coaching, and building a supportive community for women of all ages and experience levels.
danielle@ironandmettlefitness.com
Iron and Mettle
