Calgary mom among those jumping into strong woman competitions

A Calgary mother of two young children is just one of a growing number of women getting into strong woman competitions. 

"I have been training for strong woman for about 13 months," Jennifer Storm told CBC News.

"My first competition I tied for last place and then really I stepped up the training and the second competition I tied for first place."

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Storm's coach says that's no small achievement.

"I cried a little bit," said the owner of Raw Iron Performance gym in Southview, Cody Hawkins.

"I was very proud. Jenny puts in four days a week, up until that point she had missed one session in about six or seven months of training."

Storm is one of four women Hawkins is training for strong woman competitions — like strong man competitions but with small modifications.

The competitions typically include events like squatting, deadlifting, clean and press, atlas stone and keg loading, carrying, and pulling heavy objects like trucks.

"The sport of strong man has been for a long time, since the 1800s," Storm said.

"It has always been very popular for men to compete in, but recently women have started to enter the sport and they have been really welcomed by the men. We definitely lift less heavy weights, but we do all the same events that men do. We pull trucks, we flip tires, we pick up atlas stones, all of those things."

She says the training and competitions have challenged what she believed growing up.

"Society really tells you that a woman's body shouldn't be big, it shouldn't be strong," Storm said.

"I am here to say that that's not right. I have worked all of my life to try and achieve that ideal body that society thinks you should have. Coming into this sport just made me realize that you don't have to achieve that and I am not necessarily meant to be that."

The training has given Storm lessons that go beyond the gym.

"Once you walk 60 feet with 360 pounds on your back as fast as you can, you can pretty much tackle anything. It gives me confidence, it gives me courage to tackle new things."

Storm has a competition in June which will determine if she goes on to the provincials in October.

"I just recently turned 41," she said.

"I was looking for a sport that I could really excel in. It just really fit."

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