Sunshine and Strength on the Mamaroneck Shoreline

New York Strong-est Man & Woman 8

by Warren Rosenberg - MetroSports Magazine, July 24, 2021

It was 19 months ago, on January 18th 2020, that the New York Strong Gym in Mamaroneck hosted the New York Strong-est Man and Woman 7 Competition in the Westchester County Center. On March 1st of that year, New York State reported its first confirmed case of Covid-19 and, shortly after, the County Center closed to be repurposed as an emergency overflow hospital and vaccination center.

As some semblance of normal life began to return this spring, the County Center remained unavailable and alternative plans had to be made to run the New York Strong-est Man and Woman 8 competition.

This past Saturday, July 24th 2021, the United States Strongman organization sanctioned five events across the country including the Granite State Strongman Challenge in New Hampshire, the Jenn Strongwoman Competition in Florida, America’s Strongest Veteran in Virginia, America’s Strongest Athlete with Disabilities in Ohio and, right here in New York City’s suburban backyard, the New York Strong-est Man and Woman 8 Competition in Mamaroneck, New York. Hosted by Mamaroneck’s New York Strong gym, the competition took place under sunny skies on the beautiful waterfront of Mamaroneck’s Harbor Island Park.

Over Eighty athletes competed in 13 divisions ranging from Novice Lightweight through Open Super Heavyweight. The athletes competed in five unique and distinct events challenging both strength and endurance. In addition to the more well-known and easily understood events characteristic of strongman contests such as the Circus Dumbell Press, other challenges included the Keg Carry & Load, Fingal Finger, Car Deadlift and Truck Pull. In these last two events, competitors were challenged by lifting either a 2,500 pound Fiat 500 or a 4,300 pound Dodge Charger and by pulling a 50 ton truck a timed distance of up to 80 feet.

Winners of the event included senior rescue dogs of the Special Needs Senior Dog Sanctuary...and some humans

Blythe Adamo, Novice Women’s Lightweight Melissa Ruiz, Novice Women’s Heavyweight

Pamela Hyde, Open Women’s Middleweight

Stevie Aligbe, Open Women’s Super Heavyweight

Jeanne Brunner, Masters Women

Charles Arliss, Novice Men’s Lightweight

Michael Layton, Novice Men’s Heavyweight

Charles Mikell, Open Men’s Lightweight

Michael Remieres, Open Men’s Middleweight

Steve Tripp, Open Men’s Heavyweight

Justin Legere, Open Men’s Super Heavyweight

Ed Shore III, Masters Men’s Middleweight

Tomy Meconiates, Masters Men’s Heavyweight

Full results can be found on the Iron Podium website at: https://ironpodium.com/events/live/ny-strong-est-man-woman-8

Over $3,400 was raised for the Special Needs Senior Dog Sanctuary

Look for full coverage of the event in the upcoming July-August 2021 issue of MetroSports Magazine due out in mid-August and accessible at: https://www.metrosportsmag.com/

Event Photos available at: https://wr-photo.com/