Double the strength for Manawatu¯ twins’ win

In a family double act, Manawatu¯ twins have tested their might, flexed their muscles and come out on top in a strongman competition.

Shayna Wirihana won the open women’s category of the 2018 Manwatu¯ Strength Challenge at Manfield, Feilding, on Saturday and her twin brother Eruera Wirihana edged out reigning champion Connor Moche by one point to win the open men’s event.

The twins have only competed in strongman competitions for a year and were chuffed to take out the competition together – each crediting the other’s support. ‘‘We’ve really tight. We’re each other’s No 1 fans ... and she was actually the one that got me into this strongman stuff in the first place,’’ Eruera Wirihana said.

Shayna Wirihana won the title of New Zealand’s second strongest woman last year. She will defend that and get another shot at the top at the national championships in Nelson in two weeks. She encouraged her brother to take up competing too, because she knew the large scaffolder would love it.

The strong woman lifts weights four times a week and works on her cardio fitness five times a week. Shayna Wirihana put in an impressive performance on Saturday, dragging an eighttonne truck 14.3 metres, ripping out 12 reps with the 50-kilogram logs and heaving a massive anvil 63 metres. But she got the most satisfaction from the three-keg challenge, where she had to stack increasingly heavy kegs – 60kg, 80kg, then 100kg – atop a barrel.

‘‘I got them loaded in 30 seconds. I’m real pleased with that, so I think that was my favourite event.’’