Strength in numbers
André and Vallerie Sweeney are a couple that test their physical boundaries and will be proving themselves at the World Championship Strongman and Woman competition in Hungry at the end of September.
Going to watch a strongman competition about five years ago, André did not think he would be on his way to becoming South Africa’s strongest man.
“We were sitting in the crowd and they called André out to see if he could lift an Atlas stone, which is a big concrete ball. It was the first time in South Africa that someone from the crowd could pick up that ball, so that’s when his interest in this all started,” says Vallerie.
André has been competing for five years and this sparked Vallerie’s interest. She has been competing in the women’s division for a year and a half.
She is the current second place holder of the Strong Woman South Africa competition which was held at Gold Reef City at the end of last year.
The couple went through the qualifying round for the world championships where they had to show their strength in three categories – the dead lift, the bench press and the squat.
To prepare for the competition, the couple have a gym at their house and they train for at least twice a day, six days a week as well as eating a healthy and balanced diet.
“We are two of five South Africans going to the world champs,” says André.
André is in it to win it says Vallerie, but she is mostly in it for the fun and the experience.
“André is looking to beat the world record in his division for dead lifting, which is 325kg, and we know he can pick up more, up to about 345kg. That is his ambition at the competition,” says Vallerie.
André and Vallerie have passed their love of the strong man and woman competitions on to their two children.
“Our daughter Melissa (12) is already competing. She competed with us in the qualifiers a month ago and in her division, she picked up 90kg.
“Our son Calvin (5) is also following in our footsteps, he is picking up logs that weigh about 50kgs so we think he will be like his dad one day,” says Vallerie.
André says that without the help of their sponsors Hansie and Eddie van Heerden, they would not be going to the competition.
“We just want to thank them for everything they have done for us and the time and money they are spending to help us get to Hungry.”
“We are very proud of them and glad we could help them out,” says Hansie from Van Heerden Hansie Transport.
André and Vallerie leave for Hungary on September 21 and will go through the week and a half competition competing in the various lifting categories to try and win the titles of world’s strongest man and woman.
