Pulling her weight

鈥淪o we鈥檙e just standing there looking at each other, holding more than double our body weights in our hands. We got 30 seconds in and she鈥檚 looking strong, then all of a sudden at about 40 seconds she dropped it.鈥�

Ashlee Munsey, 鈥�10, 鈥�11, held onto her 375-pound metal frame for about a minute before she 聽claimed victory as lightweight women鈥檚 champion of the last fall.

Her husband Andy, 鈥�12, who also competes in Strongman events, and her sister ran out onto the floor to congratulate Munsey. She said the face-off tiebreaker made her win extra sweet.

鈥淚n 2016, I finished second and missed a pro card, in 2017 I went to a different competition and missed out on my pro card by half a point,鈥� Munsey said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I didn鈥檛 want to let go. It was a really awesome moment.鈥�

The pro card Munsey finally earned is a ticket to the next level of competition in Strongman events. She started competing as a novice before entering open events four years ago.

鈥淵ou can win money as a pro,鈥� Munsey said, 鈥淏ut I鈥檒l probably never break even with what it costs to go to the competitions.鈥�

Munsey played basketball at 91传媒 and was a thrower on the track team. After college, she was on the lookout for a competitive outlet. She accompanied her husband to the Strongman nationals in 2014 and after finishing a marathon that same year, decided to give the sport a try.

鈥淚 dreaded getting up to run, but I had always enjoyed lifting,鈥� Munsey said.

鈥淢ost people picture really giant human beings when they think of Strongman, but if you saw me on the street you wouldn鈥檛 guess that I can deadlift 400 pounds.鈥�

She placed second in her debut competition, sandwiched between two national champions in first and third. She had found her sport.

Munsey鈥檚 weekdays begin at 4 a.m., when she and Andy get up for their morning workout. Three days a week they head to their backyard gym to do squats, deadlifts, and other strength training for a couple of hours before they both go to work at Munsey鈥檚 other alma mater, North Central High School in Spokane.

Now in her eighth year at NCHS, Munsey teaches math to teens who she said would probably never suspect her hobby.

鈥淢ost people picture really giant human beings when they think of Strongman, but if you saw me on the street you wouldn鈥檛 guess that I can deadlift 400 pounds,鈥� she said

On Saturdays the Munseys spend several hours working with more unusual equipment, including farmer鈥檚 handles, a yoke, giant concrete spheres called atlas stones, and even an actual log from a tree in their yard. Cardio, nutrition and a lot of recovery fill the rest of their days.

Their commitment is paying off. Andy finished seventh at nationals in 2018, a personal best. Munsey鈥檚 win this year was her fourth appearance at amateur nationals.

Along the way, Munsey continues to advocate Strongman as an entry point for inexperienced weightlifters.

鈥淵ou can do more than you think,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople are a little intimidated at first, but it鈥檚 a sport that鈥檚 easy to enter and it鈥檚 a really friendly environment.鈥�

Munsey recently got an endorsement to teach P.E., and hopes to introduce a women鈥檚 weightlifting class at her high school in the fall.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to show girls that there鈥檚 a lot to gain in the weight room, and you do belong there,鈥� she said. 鈥淓very day is an opportunity to get stronger, every day you can make progress 鈥� even if it鈥檚 just one more rep or 2 more pounds.鈥�

Amateur Nationals 2018 (Oct. 27-28 in St. Louis)

Points are awarded for how many people you surpass in each event. Since there were 23 women competing in the lightweight category, Ashlee earned 23 points for each first-place finish. Second place earns 22 points, third gets 21, etc.

Day 1

Axle Clean & Press
Lift the 140-pound bar to shoulder height, and then raise it overhead as many times as possible in a minute.
Ashlee finished in the middle of the pack with 10 reps.

Frame Carry
Stand in the middle of a 440-pound metal frame, pick it up and carry it 60 feet as fast as possible.
Ashlee won with 9.78 seconds.

Frame Deadlift
Pick up a 375-pound frame as many times as possible in a minute. The handles are slightly bigger so it鈥檚 harder to grip.
Ashlee won with 16 reps and finished Day 1 in second place, behind the leader by just half a point.

Day 2

Circus Dumbbell Press
Lift a giant 85-pound dumbbell to shoulder height, and then raise it overhead with one arm and return it to the floor as many times as possible in a minute.
Ashlee tied for sixth with 9 reps, and was down 4 points going into the final event.

Moving Medley
Block Carry: Pick up a weighted metal box, carry it 30 feet, set it on a mat and sprint back.
Duck Walk: Stand over a 150-pound stack of weights with bar through the middle, grab it and waddle 30 feet as fast as possible.
Sled Pull: Use a rope to pull a 200-pound sled arm-over-arm 30 feet.
Ashlee placed second in the medley, tying for first overall with 98.5 points.