The 2023 Ohio’s Strongest contest was held in Struthers, OH on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, and history may have been made at this competition. Under-64-kilogram strongwoman Kira Wrixson performed a massive 18-inch deadlift of 385.5 kilograms (850 pounds), and she made it look easy.
Wrixson approached the stiff bar, which was loaded with oversized “wagon wheel” plates and elevated on boxes, before securing her “figure eight”-style lifting straps to the bar. After taking a few seconds to prepare for the moment, she began the pull and immediately stood tall with the weight. Once she locked out, the judge gave a down command, and she received cheers from the crowd watching. She was also wearing a weightlifting belt and a deadlift suit.
Wrixson and Ohio’s Strongest contest promoters have referred to this lift as a “World Record.” Breaking Muscle reached out to the promoters for confirmation and it was determined that there had been no heavier lift recorded in competition before Wrixson’s attempt. Breaking Muscle found no such lift, performed by a strongwoman in her weight class, being recognized as a World Record as well. So, unless another competitor or organization can provide evidence to the contrary, Wrixson’s lift may go down as the heaviest documented 18-inch deadlift performed by a U64KG strongwoman athlete.
Wrixson had quite a day, overall, at this contest. Less than an hour before she performed her deadlift, she had also scored a Circus Dumbbell lift of 62.9 kilograms (138.8 pounds). Promoters also called this lift a World Record and, again, no other documented record for this lift before Wrixson was found. This event included an amateur competition as well as separate events for record attempts. Wrixson only took part in the record-setting portion.
The entire show had significant meaning for locals in the area because it served as tribute to “Warrior Princess” Nora Sabella, a nine-year-old girl who recently passed away following her third cancer diagnosis and a total of five years of treatment. According to promoters of the Ohio’s Strongest contest, Wrixson said she was extra motivated for her lifts because there was a 50-cent per pound donation riding on her deadlift.
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