Prairie power

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/08/2018 (2790 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For most people, lifting boulders, pulling a truck and squatting tires probably doesn’t sound like an ideal way to spend a Sunday. But for a group of strength athletes, the first-ever Manitoba Classic Strongman Competition was a chance to put their training to the test.

The competition, which was hosted by St. James’ Brickhouse Gym on Aug. 5, saw 19 athletes (nine men, 10 women) from across the province compete in five different events.

 For Brickhouse co-owner Paul Taylor, the goal of the competition was to give local strongman athletes exposure and grow interest in the sport. 

“People can’t necessarily relate when they see someone lifting weights because they might not know how much this or that weighs,” Taylor said. “Whereas everyone knows what a car is and knows they’re heavy…to pick one up is super Herculean.”

Strongman competitions focus on an athlete’s total body strength with events focused on lifting, pulling, pressing and squatting heavy objects.

The first-place winners of the inaugural Manitoba Classic were Anna Ladesma (women’s lightweight), Mara Rozitis (women’s heavyweight) and Ryan Deloli (men’s open).

The strongman competition was a first for Brickhouse trainer Megan Swidnicki, who placed second in the women’s heavy weight category. Leading up to the meet, she was working on adjusting her technique for lifting awkward shapes and heavy items.

“You learn how to deadlift, you learn how to squat, but now you’re doing a deadlift with a car — it’s really different,” she said, adding that the best advice she received from fellow athletes was to “just be strong.”

More than 100 spectators came out to watch the events, which took place in the gym’s parking lot at 104 King Edward St. East. Olympic weightlifter and World Wrestling Entertainment Hall-of-Famer Mark Henry emceed the competition and hosted a seminar for athletes on Saturday. 

Swidnicki has been training at Brickhouse for a number of years and appreciates the diverse, tight-knit community of the gym. 

“It’s a very welcoming place,” she said. 

As a troubled youth, Taylor found solace in exercise and working out. He became a certified personal trainer and started Brickhouse 10 years ago to share his outlook on fitness and empower others to get stronger.

“Variety is the spice of life and it’s nice to get exposure to different stuff, so I wanted to offer an environment where that was welcome,” he said. “When you get stronger and more confident in the gym, it carries out into the rest of your life.”

Taylor, and his business partner JT Smith, also run a Brickhouse location on Gertrude Avenue in Osborne Village. The business is currently doubling the square footage of its King Edward Street location. Construction on the expansion is expected to wrap up this fall.