Strongman Samoa aims to create new pathways for local talent

The co-founder of Strongman Samoa hopes the budding sport will provide another avenue for talented young athletes in the country to shine.

Competitive strongman is gaining momentum in the Pacific, despite limited opportunities for athletes to compete close to home.

Athletes from Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands gathered in Samoa over the weekend for the second Pacific Strongest competition.

The event stands apart from traditional strongman contests by incorporating some unique Pasifika elements and challenges.

Since its establishment in 2023, Strongman Samoa has helped to grow the sport locally and attract competitors from across the region.

For Strongman Samoa co-founder Masi Peter Anae, what makes Pacific Strongest unique is not the weights being lifted but the sand they are lifted on.

“Majority of these athletes, or I think all of them, this is their first time competing on sand. Doing those keg runs is hard, doing it on the sand is twice as hard,” Anae said.

“The sand was not, you know, the favourite event, but it’s good that it put them in that uncomfortable environment. But they all did well.”

He said the athletes’ reactions were priceless.

“You know, I remember the first time they [did the exercises on the sand], the look on their faces, especially the ones [for] who it’s the first time they’re doing it on the day. [I’m like] sorry, sorry, but not sorry.”

Anae said none of this would be possible without sponsors who believed in their vision – an event that promotes healthy lifestyles and brings economic benefits to Samoa.

For him, it all comes back to what the sport makes people feel.

“Strongman, for me, is a very entertaining, spectacular sport, like you don’t have to know strong men to be entertained. You watch it and you just feel motivated, you feel supportive, and then feel inspired, all of those feelings,” Anae said.

He hopes it gives Samoan youth another avenue to showcase their natural strength outside the more technical sport of powerlifting.

“If you just want to be strong and fit, there’s another sport that you can, but yeah do. It is just another sport, we can all funnel all this talent that we have in Samoa.”

Laauoleolaimalua Sao Fereti, who won the Open Men’s division, is a local who started strongman training with his friends two years ago.

Inspired by social media buzz around Strongman Samoa, he said one of his friends gave it a try and came back saying how awesome and fun it was.

“The very next Saturday, we all went down to check it out together. I’m the type of person who loves a challenge that is fun, but also truly showcases raw strength-that’s exactly what I found in this sport,” Fereti said.

Fereti said doing exercises in the sand was a completely different experience compared to competing on a concrete floor.

“The sand adds a layer of unpredictability; every time your feet sink in, your whole body has to instantly adjust to keep your balance,” he said, adding that the duck walk into a sled pull really highlighted this.

“The sled kept sinking into the sand, which meant I had to constantly work to keep it moving. It forces you to be reactive and stable in a way a gym floor never will,” Fereti said.

Fereti said he saw the huge potential women showed at Pacific Strongest, embodying the Samoan proverb “E au le inailau a tamaitai”, which translates to “Women hold strength and capability to achieve anything”.

He said his coach told him something on his very first day that stuck has stuck with him: “Strongman is an uncomfortable sport. It’s full of awkward moments, heavy loads, and real challenges – but that’s exactly why it’s so much fun.”

Kuini Kwan Jr, who represented New Zealand, won the Under-91kg women’s category.

She had spent three months preparing for the Under-82kg category, dropping from 89kg to 82kg through training and nutrition.

But days before the event, the other athletes in her division withdrew, forcing her to reconsider her plans. Just before travelling to Samoa, Kwan also suffered a painful knee injury.

“Thankfully I was able to manage it enough to compete,” Kwan said.

With no competitors left in her division, Kwan made the last-minute decision to move up to the Under-91kg class and take on heavier weights than she had been preparing for.

“That meant taking on heavier weights than I had spent months preparing for, but I didn’t want all of the hard work to go to waste. Looking back now, I’m really glad I made that decision,” Kwan said.

Kwan said Pacific Strongest is her favourite strongman competition to compete in.

She praissed the organisers Ryan Walker and Anae, noting that despite it bieng only the second year of the competition, it felt like an event that had been running for many years.

“The atmosphere was awesome and the whole weekend was so well organised. It was definitely worth making the trip to Samoa,” she added.

Anae said the goal is for Pacific Strongest to become a pathway to international competitions such as the Official Strongman Games, Giants Live and, ultimately, the World’s Strongest Man.