Strongmen gather in Paradise

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Aspiring weightlifters gathered in Paradise last Saturday at the 2024 True Strength Inc., Novice Winter Classic in Paradise.
Open to athletes with less than three competitions under their belt, the meet saw people dip in from a variety of other sports to test their might in a supportive and relaxed environment.
Activities included trap bar deadlifts, overhead barbell lifts, crucifix holds, dinnie stone walks, and a bag loading medley.
As for the competitors, powerlifting hobbyist Aiden Davis took the competition’s top spot, with Joseph Bagur and Joshua Garland bringing up second and third place.
The event was hosted by the NL Strongman/Strongwoman committee.
Samantha Dalley, the vice president of the group, said the novice event is designed so that participants can train for it in any gym.
“You don’t need special equipment usually for these events,” she said. “It’s a good entry point for people to get into the sport, instead of doing something complicated. Not everyone has a log, not everyone has stones.”
Repeat competitors in the novice competitions are encouraged to move up into ranked competitions like NL Strongest when they’re ready, but nothing is forced.
Comradery at the event was palpable, with opposing competitors cheering each other on throughout. Claps and barks of support resounded after every drop of the barbell, and words of encouragement could be heard at the first sight of faltering.
“You’ll see that in every competition we have, right from the novice to our national competitions,” Dalley said. “You’ll meet someone for the first time and all of a sudden you’re cheering them on and you don’t even realize you’re doing it.”
NL Strongman/Strongwoman recently dialed back the programming it was involved in, giving its members more time to travel to competitions like those happening in Ireland in August or Finland in July, something the novice group can certainly look forward to.
“There’s a lot of opportunities now, and strongman is growing. We’re very thankful for that,” Dalley said.