The title of Cariboo’s Strongest will be up for grabs when the annual event returns to the lakecity Sept. 5.
Heading into its fourth year, Cariboo’s Strongest organizer and Williams Lake strength athlete Tyson Delay said he’s hoping for a good turnout from both veterans and newcomers, alike, and is looking forward to showcasing the sport in front of spectators.
“I’m really excited about it,” Delay said. “People are itching to compete and it’s been a while … it should be one of our best turnouts, ever, if not the most.”
Delay is tailoring this year’s competition — being held in the Real Canadian Wholesale Club parking lot — toward all levels of athletes in both men’s and women’s divisions, and said he’s keeping both weights and the barrier to entry low.
Weight classes will be broken down into 180-pound and under, 230-pound and under, and open for men, and 150-pound and under, 180-pound and under and open for women.
Events will feature a max deadlift, a Kevlar sandbag carry, natural stone loading, an overhead medley featuring a log, axle and circus dumbbell and, to cap it all off, a truck pull.
READ MORE: Delay powers way to third at BC Provincials
Delay said since he got involved in the sport several years ago he’s seen local interest grow tenfold.
“I’ve seen people go from not having a clue what it was to basically saying: ‘Oh, yeah. I know that. I’d like to compete in that one day.’ It’s really cool, we’ve got a lot more support than we did, and it seems every year we have more and more spectators.”
Due to COVID-19, Delay said anyone wishing to participate should bring a face mask and spectators will be required to respect social distancing markings.
Registration will be available the morning of the event, however, Delay said he’d prefer if people contacted him beforehand via e-mail at tysonrdelay@gmail.com.
Athletes are asked to arrive at 10 a.m. for registration and weigh-ins, while the meet is slated to get underway at 11 a.m.
“I want this event to be a promotional thing,” Delay said. “I’m trying to build up the sport … most people are scared at first but once they see it and see it as something that is very doable then people won’t be so intimidated by it.”
Locals dominate at WPC National Powerlifting Championships
A crew of lakecity powerlifters trekked north to test their mettle Saturday, Aug. 22 at the WPC National Powerlifting Championships at the X-Conditioning Gym.
Tyson Delay, Blair Fisher, Garrett LeRoy, Brittany Baird, Ksenia Kolodka and Blair Potter represented Williams Lake in a big way at the meet, each powering to first place in their respective classes.
Baird and Kolodka both competed in bench press, squat and deadlift, with Baird’s best coming in the form of a 292-pound deadlift, while Kolodka completed a 176-pound squat, a 99-pound benchpress and a 242-pound deadlift.
LeRoy benched 309 pounds in his path to the gold in the 90-kilogram weight class, also setting a new, national record in the process with a massive 590-pound deadlift.
Blair, not too far shy of his 60th birthday, valiantly trained, and competed, after overcoming multiple injuries to end up with a 451-pound benchpress.
Potter, who competed in benchpress only, hammered out a 422-pound lift.
Delay, meanwhile, finished with a 528-pound deadlift in a personal best.
“It was a really good meet for all of us,” Delay said. “Everyone was pretty happy.”
greg.sabatino@wltribune.com
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