Former Bella Coola resident and strength athlete Tyson Delay finished near the middle of the pack in what was the largest field ever at the Canadian Strongman Nationals in Quebec City Oct. 3.
Hosted by the Canadian Alliance of Amateur Strength Athletes (CAASA), Delay, who now lives in Williams Lake, hoisted his ticket to nationals after finishing third in the middleweight division at provincials in Courtenay earlier this summer.
The middleweight division at nationals featured 30 competitors at a maximum weight of 231 pounds.
“I weighed in as the second lightest guy in my group at 218 pounds the day prior, which is heavy for me,” Delay said after placing 15th overall at the event.
“Everyone was pretty much on the weight cap. I weighed like 221 pounds the day of the competition.”
Events at nationals included a yoke walk, deadlift, dumbbell lift, farmer’s walk and axle hold.
An exhausting day of competition, which had its venue change from one location to another due to heightened COVID-19 restrictions put in place the day before the event, saw Delay complete a 120-foot yoke walk carrying 675 pounds, three deadlift reps at 525 pounds, two reps of a 155-pound, awkward, globe-shaped dumbbell and carry 265 pounds 60 feet in the farmer’s walk.
“In the last event, the axle hold, I couldn’t even pick the thing up,” Delay said, noting he was completely exhausted by that point.
READ MORE: Delay powers way to third at BC Provincials
“I’m pleased with how I did. Last year I finished second to last, so definitely not what I wanted but with the calibre of the guys there I’m pretty happy.”
Delay said it’s always a great learning experience competing at nationals.
“I got to meet a lot of athletes I didn’t meet last year due to just how many guys there were, and I got to meet Canada’s Strongest Man, Jean-Francois Caron, who is someone I really look up to,” he said, noting he had the opportunity to ask for a few pointers moving forward in the sport.
“He said the best advice he can give is: stay mobile, stay fast,” Delay said.
Delay thanked his team at home for helping him to train and to prepare for nationals.
“It’s just amazing, all the help,” he said.
Delay has one more competition left before winter: Shell Shock in Edmonton on Nov. 5.
“All the money they raised at that one goes to military vets affected by PTSD,” he said. “So it’ll be kind of cool and there might be a few people from here going.”
He then plans to take some time off over the winter to focus on getting more mobile, getting loose and reworking things from a balance standpoint to get ready for next season.
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