"I started this journey when I was 35. And I'm 47 now," said Mara McBride from the Roxborough area. "And every time I do lift, I'm surprised that I did it."
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Today, McBride competed in various exercises. One of them was the Stone Load Medley over Hitching Post. She successfully lifted the 145-pound stone over the hurdle for the first time.
"It's just good to be better than yesterday," she said.
The event is hosted by Fire for Effect Athletics, a gym in Manayunk. They created the event last year to capitalize on the rising popularity of strongman sports across the nation. But they also wanted to make it casual and accessible to non-professional athletes.
This year was the second annual event and it once again took place at Wissahickon Brewery in East Falls.
Alongside the lifting, throwing, and pulling, competitors could also pitch in for a good cause. A 50/50 raffle was held to benefit The Weekly Fight, an organization that provides free workouts to veterans, first responders, and their families in the Philadelphia area.
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Another competitor, Jermaine Rhoden, became interested in this unique hobby about a year and a half ago. But it wasn't all flexing at first.
"In the first class, I was sore all over. I couldn't move for a week," he said. "But I kept coming back and then after the first month, I just got into a nice consistent groove where I was just like, this is part of my life. It's a non-negotiable now."
Fire for Effect Athletics is opening its doors for anyone of any skill level who is interested in learning how to do strongman exercises and more. To learn more, visit their website.
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