For the first time in six years, Kamloops will be hosting a Strongest Man/Woman competition.

It is all set to take place on Saturday, April 8th at the powwow grounds and it will be free for spectators.

Organizer and owner of Strength Camp Kamloops Jake Birkeland says he was encouraged to start it back up after speaking with the original organizer who had left town resulting in Kamloops Strong Man not happening for the past number of years. “It’s been definitely a lot of work, but I’m really excited and I’m pumped to put on a great show for all the spectators and give the athletes a great competition for them to test their strength.”

Birkeland says it is going to be quite the site for people to take in. “Expect some entertainment, with strongman being a very athleticism based and strength-based sport. You’re going to see a mix of athleticism and raw power, which is really cool to see. A lot of people think strongman is based on what they see on TV as these massive people. There is massive men and massive women that are crazy strong. Like, out of this world. But what we have here is a bit more normal.”

“You’re going to see multiple weight classes. So, you’re going to see the people that are lighter lifting more normal weights, which is kind of cool to see. You will also have the big heavy guy lifting the crazy weights that are really incredible feats. So, it’s quite a range you get to see which is really cool.”

More than 40 athletes are expected to take part in events like events deadlifting, stone lifting, and pulling vehicles. There is also still an opportunity for people to sign up if they want to try their hand at Strongman. “Don’t be afraid to sign up for the competition,” says Birkeland. “It’s a sport that has a fairly low barrier of entry. If you’re strong, then you can jump in and try it out. And we’ll make sure with our personal trainers that we’ll be there and with the experience strong men that will be there will make sure you do it right and do it safe before you attempt this. So, if you want to jump in and make this your first time trying strong man, recommend this be the one you did.”

He notes that they are still searching for a title sponsor for the event. “We’re going to be doing this every year. So, we’re looking to create a long-term relationship with a local business. The name of the event presented by this business. That’s something that we would definitely love to have. But in regards to what we need, I would say what we need the most is for everyone to come and check it out. We want to be able to put on a show the athletes love putting on a show for spectators so I think the more people that are there, the more fun the athletes will have.”

For more information you can check out the Kamloops Strongest Man/Woman Facebook page.