Arm wrestling has lengthy had a status for being a “blokey” sport the place brawny rivals go arm to arm in a showdown of power.
However at a working meat manufacturing unit in Melbourne’s south east, a gaggle of ladies are a part of an arm wrestling membership known as “The Home of Ache”.
Each Wednesday night time, membership members pack into the manufacturing unit’s small entrance workplace for coaching.
The tight house has been outfitted with particular arm wrestling tables, and is adorned with distinctive touches together with a wall of used vitality drink cans.
Attendance varies week to week, however on this event a minimum of 20 individuals have gathered, together with a brand new mom, a tiler, and a incapacity help employee.
There aren’t any handshakes right here. Members greet one another with a pleasant fist bump.
Membership member and Victorian director of the Australian Armwrestling Federation, Celine Van Os, says there was a giant leap in feminine participation since she found the game in 2016.
“My first competitors was accidentally. I used to be there to observe the occasion, they usually had purchased three medals for the three podium finishers for the ladies’s class, they usually solely had two ladies rock up,” Ms Van Os explains.
“Once I walked in, my coach Andrew Lea pointed me out and mentioned, ‘Oh, there’s our third feminine. Celine, you are competing right this moment.’
“I might by no means been on an arm wrestling desk earlier than. I barely knew something in regards to the sport.”
A extremely technical sport
Andrew Lea based The Home of Ache in 2012, and says he instantly observed there weren’t sufficient ladies within the sport.
“I’ve all the time tried to encourage ladies to firstly come to the membership to really find out about arm wrestling after which compete, which was the second step,” Mr Lea says.
“It is open to utterly anybody, anybody can arm wrestle.”
Andrew Lea and Celine Van Os displaying their power. (ABC: Lexie Jeuniewic)
There at the moment are a minimum of 50 ladies nationwide who repeatedly prepare and compete at arm wrestling occasions throughout the nation.
“From the skin, it seems to be like a typical strength-based sport, a really masculine, strength-based sport,” Ms Van Os says.
“However when you’re launched to the technical facet of the game and what number of other ways there are to leverage your power towards your opponent’s and use what power you might have … that is what actually fascinated me.”
Whereas there’s actually a social component to the weekly coaching night time on the Home of Ache, the aggressive spirit is as sturdy because the scent of sweat — and the slight tinge of ammonia from the manufacturing unit — within the air.
Members are laser-focused on the upcoming Australian Armwrestling Titles in Melbourne.
Opponents are divided into weight divisions, and Mr Lea describes the occasion as “a bit like tennis with the seedings”.
“However you’ll be able to lose twice, so the winner’s the individual on the finish who hasn’t misplaced twice,” he says.
Eyes on Olympics
Grocery store employee and new mom Yvonne Ritzert-Smith might be collaborating in left and right-arm occasions on November 2.
“I really feel like that is my 12 months to purpose for first place,” she says.
“I simply really feel like I will convey my mum power alongside to simply give me that little little bit of edge.”
No matter whether or not the membership brings house trophies from nationals, Celine Van Os says competitions like this are an vital step in elevating the profile of the game.
The game of arm wrestling is rising. (ABC: Lexie Jeuniewic)
Ms Van Os is amongst many within the arm wrestling group who’re hopeful will probably be included in this system for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“There are positively a number of different nations which have bigger ladies’s groups than Australia,” she says.
“We’re very new to the game, so we’re simply a lot smaller when it comes to the dimensions of arm wrestling for our nation versus different nations.
“So I feel if we then have the Olympics and open that up worldwide, it would be unbelievable to see all of the those who come collectively.”
