Strong women show up
Deidra Whyte (left), J.D. Saylor (centre), and Kahénte Melody Horn were repping Kahnawake CrossFit at the first annual Konti’shátste Strong Woman Competition in Akwesasne last weekend. Courtesy Kahénte Melody Horn
The sun was shining down on some strong Mohawk women last weekend at the Konti’shátste Strong Woman Competition in Akwesasne, where a group of Kahnawa’kehró:non impressed with their weightlifting skills.
Seven women from Kahnawake CrossFit travelled to Akwesasne for the event, which was organized by the Iakwa’shatste Youth Fitness group.
Kahénte Melody Horn was there representing Kahnawake and even managed to walk away with a first place medal in her division.
“Going there and lifting heavy and representing CrossFit Kahnawake was really empowering,” said Horn. “It felt like we actually stood for something. In CrossFit, we consider each other a family, so it was pretty cool.”
The group was supported by J.D. Saylor, who has been training Kahnawake’s CrossFit athletes and specializes in weight training with his business, Strong Human Fitness.
Horn had taken a Strong Human class with Saylor last year and has been hooked on weightlifting ever since.
He was a judge at the event, and Horn said it was motivating to have him there for the competition.
“After the first event, I had a headache and I just thought ‘What did I get myself into? If I’m going to feel like this after every event, I’m going to fold right now,’” she said. “It was J.D. who talked my negativity down and said, ‘You came here with a purpose,’ and I realized, ‘You know what, yeah, you’re right. I came here for a reason, and I’ve got to push through.’”
Push through she did, ranking first in the division three category for the day.
“It felt really, really good, because all of this is still new to me, it’s not something I grew up doing, but it’s honestly become my medicine now,” she said. “It’s exciting, because now I’m wondering how much stronger I can actually get, and how much farther I can go than where I am now.”
Also attending from Kahnawake was Tina McComber - McComber has been participating in CrossFit since 2013 and has found heavy lifting to be an excellent exercise for her mind and body.
She came in fourth in her category, and found the day a welcome challenge, pushing herself to new limits with exercises like a shoulder to overhead lift with a 40-lb dumbbell.
“I’ve never done 40 lbs. before, so that was really cool,” she said.
She said that the adrenaline of the competition setting spurred her on, and she logged more weight on the day than she’d managed in practices before the competition, even lifting a 110-lb. sandbag and getting a 120-lb. one to her stomach, having only managed 110 lbs. in training.
“It was just so fun, and being with our sister community, they were so welcoming and cheering each other on, it was so great,” McComber said.
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Also in attendance from Kahnawake CrossFit were Taionwesenhtane Lahache-Deering, TammyJo Lahache, Takoterahsahtste Mayo, Deidra Whyre, and Jamie Deer.
McComber hopes other women in the community can be encouraged by the achievements of the Kahnawake CrossFit team on Cornwall Island last weekend.
“So many people are like, ‘I’m not strong enough, I’m not ready, I don’t know if I can do that,’” she said. “Yes, you can. Just go and do it. You can do it.”
