Strongwoman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Strongwoman refers to either a woman performing feats of strength in a show or circus, or a woman who competes in strength athletics. Traditionally, strongwomen have had a special appeal, as women involved in demonstrated feats of strength were exceptions.
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[edit] Traditional strongwomen
Traditionally, strongwomen were featured as performers in a circus or other venues, and engaged in feats of strength such as barbell lifting and human juggling.
Some famous traditional strongwomen include:
- Charmion (Laverie (née Cooper) Vallee), born in 1875, in Sacramento, California.
- Vulcana (née Kate Roberts), born in 1883.
- Katie Sandwina, born in 1884 in Vienna, Austria.
- Ivy Russel, born in 1907 in Croydon, England.
- Joan Rhodes, born in 1920 in England.
[edit] Modern-day strongwomen
In recent years, the term strongwoman has come to refer to the women who compete in events such as the annual World's Strongest Woman (WSW) competitions, sanctioned by the International Federation of Strength Athletes (IFSA), and televised nationally on ESPN. In these contests, the participants compete in events such as the farmer's walk (walking as far as possible with heavy steel rods in each hand), the shield carry, the car deadlift, and others.
Some famous modern strongwomen include:
- Jill Mills, winner of multiple WSW competitions including the first one held in 2001
- Robin Coleman, who took 3rd place in the 2001 WSW competition
- Becca Swanson, powerlifting world record holder
- Aneta Florczyk, winner of the 2005 WSW contest
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Iron Ladies at the edge of XIX and XX centuries-Biographical sketches of some old-time strongwomen.
