REGINA — An elementary school teacher from Regina has been named one of the top strongwomen in North America.
Tracey Halladay, 34, placed third in the recent competition to find North America's Strongest Woman, placing behind two American competitors.
By day, she teaches third and fourth graders at McDermid Community School in Regina, but at night, she's flipping 600-pound tires and pressing 180-pound axel bars over her head.
The nine women at the competition flipped 600-pound tires and competed in a pressing medley that included a one-arm 120-pound dumbbell press and 220-pound log press.
They also carried a wheelbarrow holding more than 1,000 pounds, competed in a last-woman-standing deadlift that ended at 650 pounds and raced through an atlas stone run.
That one has them throwing giant cement balls that weigh more than 200 pounds over a bar.
"Every event was just bone-crushingly heavy, so I think all of us girls were concerned about all of the events," says Halladay. "We're all kind of on the same level so it was pretty tight at the top (points-wise) for awhile, it really came down to the last event."
She's most proud to have won the tire flip in just over 30 seconds because she's just over five feet tall.
"Definitely most proud of getting first place in the tire flip because I'm really short and usually tall people do better in tire," she says.
Being a strongwoman is something Halladay also takes into her classroom at McDermid. Traditionally the sport of strongman has been strictly for men and only in the last five years or so, has it seen significant female growth.
"(My students) all think it's awesome. In my classroom we're all about 'everyone can do anything' because gender doesn't matter anymore. I hope the whole world goes that way. Just because you're a girl doesn't mean you can't do atlas stones or flip a 600-pound tire."
She also thinks that women considering lifting weights shouldn't be intimidated by the crazy feats of strength at the competition and give it a try.
"Everyone has to start somewhere. My chapter 20 is different from your chapter one. You have to start somewhere."
The top three finishers earned a place to compete at World's Strongest Woman, an official event put on by the famous Giants Live. It will be Halladay's second appearance at the competition, which last year was held in England.
(CJME)
CJME, The Canadian Press
