COULD YOU LIFT 300KG?
Novice Geelong strongwoman quickly making her mark
IMAGINE lifting the equivalent of a speedboat — or five washing machines — and carrying it 20m.
Geelong strongwoman Beth Dodds is capable of that and more.
The 21-year-old, who has a maximum yoke walk of 305kg over 20m, has qualified for next year’s Arnold Sports Festival Australia Strongman Championships.
It will feature the strongest powerlifters in the country, with the three-day tournament in March doubling as qualifiers for the 2019 Arnold Amateur World Championships.
Dodds has been training for six months and has only twice competed in competition.
It was her second placing at September’s Best in the West to Australia’s strongest woman at the time, Martha Tevita, that saw her earn an invite to the Australian titles.
“To qualify for the Arnolds, you have to place in certain competition or be invited — you can’t just enter the Arnold com- petition,” Dodds said.
“I have only been training six months but I got invited to a competition called Best in the West, which was held in Lara.
“I managed to come second there, qualifying for Arnolds out of that competition.
“I found out a few weeks ago that I’d qualified, so just before six months having trained in the sport.”
It is a quick rise to prominence for Dodds, who had tried a number of sports, including basketball and shot put, without finding her calling.
But it was while attending this year’s Arnolds that the Armstrong Creek resident discovered strongwoman.
“I went and watched the Arnolds earlier this year in March — I knew a couple of people competing there — and basically thought that might be something I’d be interested in,” she said.
After she started training with Tyson Morrissy from Strong Geelong, she competed in her first event six weeks later.
Now coached by Aaron Scarborough, from Iron Revolution, in Melbourne, and with sponsorship from Bearded Bros HQ, Juice Syndicate and Geelong Physicals Therapy Centre, Dodds is eyeing a strong showing.
“I’ve actually got a competition on January 7 which will be Victoria’s Strongest, which I hope to do really well in,” she said.
“I’ve only done two competitions, so it’s hard to know where I stand for the Arnolds. But from what my previous coach, Tyson and the people I train with say, I should do fairly well.”