‘It’s between you and the weights’; More than 150 athletes test their mettle during Twin Rivers Strengthfest

KAMLOOPS — This weekend, more than 150 competitors took the stage at Sandman Centre in Kamloops during the Twin Rivers Strenghtfest — an event to celebrate the raw power and athleticism of competitors in both powerlifting and strongman disciplines — and the athletes put their strength to the test.

“I have a deep hunger and drive to test myself, especially against other people,” said Tyson Delay, one of the many athletes competing this weekend. “I’ve been competitive my whole life — I’m one of seven kids. When you’re in a family that big, you’ve got to fight, you know? I’ve been competing since I was a little kid.”

The Twin Rivers Strengthfest is an event where everyone is welcome.

“Strongman and powerlifting are both really growing sports. There’s a lot more interest in strength sports in recent sort of time,” explained Jeremy Phelps, the event’s director. “We do have a lot of novice lifters, so having a sport like this where we have a competition in Kamloops, it gives novices a chance to come out and experience something really cool.”

Events like this also help shed light on misconceptions regarding the sport.

“It’s heavily male dominated, so I think a lot of women are really scared to get involved. And it’s just really sad because it’s such an amazing community, especially for women that are looking to feel empowered,” said female athlete Braedeen Macgregor.

“Most people look at this, they see all these big, hairy, tattooed up monstrosities that are doing this. They see the big weird implements and they think, ‘Oh, no, no, no, we can’t do that,’” added Delay.

“The biggest guys are usually the most friendly, the most willing to help out,” said Phelps.

And it’s not only about winning.

“We also all show up for the brotherhood. We all show up for the fun of it. This is something we just deeply love. If you don’t love it, you’re never really going to stick around,” Delay explained.

“It’s the kind of sport where… your competitors will be cheering for you the whole time. That’s really cool,” Macgregor added.

The athletes want to encourage more people to give the sport a chance.

“Strongman is a sport where you can join at any level of your fitness… You can be Day One in the gym or you’re a veteran to lifting. It’s for everybody,” said athlete Marie Edwards.

“Remove your ego from the situation as much as you can. I know that’s hard for some people, myself especially. Just go out and have fun,” Delay advised. “Dedicate yourself to enjoying the experience and don’t worry about how you place or how you measure up against everybody else. It’s between you and the weights. Have fun and do your best.”