Why pair are proving a real power couple

WHEN you think of power couples you probably think of Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Melinda Gates, or Jay-Z and Beyonce – powerful men and women who are very strong together.

Whatever the political, economic or showbusiness power of these people, they do not come close to the physical might of Wales’ ultimate power couple.

Nathan Szuchnik and Natalie Roberts, both 31, are stronger than any couple in Wales – they are both national champions in strongman and woman competitions.

Nathan holds the title of Wales’ Strongest Man in his weight category of under 105kg. Not to be upstaged, Natalie is currently Wales’ strongest woman for her weight bracket of under 63kg.

The pair, who live together in Rhoose, have been together for a year but share a much longer history.

“We were in primary school together, so we have known each other since we were nine years old in Rhoose,” said Nathan.

“She came along to one of my competitions and started doing it after that.”

It has been a rapid road to the top of strongman competition for Nathan.

“Strongman competition is exactly like what you used to see on television at Christmas,” said Nathan. “I was a rugby player and I was putting my deadlifting videos on Facebook and got invited to Aberbargoed. There I met a guy called Nathan Llewellyn and he asked if I would be interested in doing strongman.

“So I started training and won the South Wales Strongman Challenge 2013. Back in April I won Wales’ Strongest Man.”

But while vying for the title requires plenty of muscle power, it’s not just a case of lifting weights above your head, as with power lifting. Nathan said: “When I won the Wales’ Strongest Man competition we had different events. First we had a max log press, where you have a huge steel log to press overhead and I won that event. The second event was a farmer’s walk and it is where you have to carry 150kg in each hand for 20m without dropping it – you get a minute to complete the event. Once you drop it once it starts ripping the skin off your hand. I managed to come second. Third was squats with a bar that weighed 233kg – the bar was bending. There was also a keg toss, where you had to throw kegs that weighed between 12kg and 16kg.

“Of course there is also the atlas stones that go up to 160kg.”

Being an international-standard strongman or woman doesn’t happen overnight. The pair are constantly training and sticking to rigid meal plans to stay competitive.

“We train three times a week at Hammer Strength gym in Barry Leisure Centre for about two hours a night and go to K2 in Bridgend for five hours,” said Nathan.

“With diet I don’t count calories, I just watch my weight. I get up in the morning and have eggs, protein shakes and muesli cereal. I normally have three meals during the day in the week, normally chicken and carbs. We both compete in weight categories so need to maintain a certain weight.

“I get back from work and go to the gym – then have another meal, which is usually chicken, steak or mince.”

Both Natalie and Nathan hold Welsh records – this year Natalie broke the Welsh deadlift record for her weight category and Nathan holds a Welsh dumbbell record.

It is going to be a busy six months for the pair, with Nathan competing in the UK’s strongest man event this coming Sunday, followed by Europe’s strongest man on July 29, Britain’s Strongest Man on August 19, the Strongman Champion League World Championships in Finland in September, and the World’s Strongest Man in December.

Natalie is going for the prestigious title of Britain’s strongest woman in October.