Manawatu¯ strongwomen keep raising the bar
Three Manawatu¯ women have proven themselves the strongest in their fields.
Hinewai PouwhareAnderson, 25, Melanie Poa, 46, and Shayna Wirihana, 26, won national titles at the national strongman series in Hamilton earlier this month.
Wirihana won the open women’s title for the first time,
Poa won the masters competition for the second year in a row and Pouwhare-anderson won the under-82 kilogram crown.
It was Pouwhare-anderson’s first year in the under-82kg competition, having dropped from the open grade, and her first reaction after the win was she was hungry.
‘‘I felt really good, really proud. I worked hard all year to drop to under-82kg or otherwise I would have had to face Shayna.
‘‘It’s good to finish the year. It was a hard year dieting.’’
One of the challenges was lifting a Suzuki Swift car in a dead lift as many times as they could in a minute. PouwhareAnderson managed 20 times, Poa 14 times and Wirihana 15.
Pouwhare-anderson said she was wrecked afterwards.
The other challenges were an arm-over-arm truck pull and a yoke carry weighted with sand bags.
Poa’s effort was even more impressive because she had two injuries, a tear in one of her side muscles and a leg injury.
She said she had to mentally dig deep.
Wirihana said she was pleased to have won her title.
All three put in a lot of effort training, with many gym and strength sessions a week.
Poa has set four New Zealand records this year.
Pouwhare-anderson and Poa have recently started the Wahine Strength Club, based at
Zenith Fitness in Palmerston North. Wirihana trains at her own club, called Kohatu Strength Club.
They were all previously at the Manawatu¯ Strength Club, which Poa said had been dominated by men, so they decided to start a club for women.
Wirihana’s next event is the Horowhenua strongest man competition in late January, while Poa will be training for a corporate fight.