NAS Champs

Amanda Dolan

Personal

Born: March 4
Hometown: Lloydminster, Sask, Canada
Current Location: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Occupation: Personal Trainer at Fitness Edge, graduate student
Interests: training and competing in various strength sports; taking an extended "break" from teaching high school mathematics; returned to working in the fitness industry after a 5 year break; going to the beach; hanging out with friends and family

Stats

Height: 5'3"
Weight: strongwoman 140, powerlfitng under 148
Best Competition Lifts: Axel Clean and Press 170 lbs, Axel Deadlift 330 lbs, Squat 375 lbs, Bench 240 lbs, Deadlift 365 lbs.
Best Standard Strongman Events: STONES!!!!, any loading event, log clean and press and super yoke

Competition History

1998
Alberta Provincial Bodybuilding
2nd Middle Wt.

1999
Alberta Provincial Powerlifting Championships
1st place (3 provincial records set, 132 class))

1999
Western Canadian Powerlifitng Championships
1st place (132 class)

2003
North Carolina Open-Raw Bench Press Meet
1st place (180 lbs state record, 165 class)

2004
Rivercity Strongman/Strongwoman Championships
1st place (Women's HW, over 140 lbs)

2004
All-Strength Fitness Challenge (World Team Championships)
1st place

2004
North American Strongman Society National Championships
3rd place, women's HW

2005
Battle of the Badasses
1st place Open Bench (240 lbs shirted bench, Best Bencher Award)

2005
Fitness Factory Charlotte's Strongest Contest
1st place, open women

2005
Xenia, OH Outback Challenge 2
2nd place, open women

2005
Rage in the Cage
New Bern, NC
1st place, open women

2005
North American Strongman, Inc. Women's National Championships
1st place, Women's LW, under 140 lbs

2005
APF South Carolina State Powerlifting Championships
1st place (4 state records set, 148 class)

Getting Started

I have always trained with weights and enjoyed being strong. I began working out when I was 16 years old. When I was in college, I competed in bodybuilding. I enjoyed it, but didn't like feeling weak when contests approached. And from having a track and field background, a subjectively decided sport was not very satisfying for me. I then took up powerlfiting and was hooked after my first meet. I set four provincial records at my first contest and qualified for Naitonals. Years later, after having been around the sport of strongman for many years, I decided to try a couple of strongman events, just to have some variety in my training. I had learned a lot just being around the sport and that style of training. I actually had to back off on the weights of the events until my tendons and ligaments got used to "moving" with weights and not just squatting, pressing or deadlifting them. It was so great to feel excited about training again. My muscles were sore, I was exhausted and I was getting stronger all the time. I tried my first strongwoman contest only 8 weeks after trying any event! I qualified for Nationals at that meet, went and placed third in the women's HW. The highlight was winning the stones event against Kara and Liane (they are amazing!!!). Last year, 2005, I set my sights on the women's lightweight division and had only one goal: to win. And I did. While doing the log clean and press, I snatched the first half of my reps and looking at Dione smiling with every rep as she gave me the down signal was one of the best feelings ever. It set the tone for the rest of the day. It was the best competition day. Everything went as planned. I almost had a perfect score. The log clean and press was a tie......

Goals

First is to fully recovery from my ACL reconstructive surgery and get back into competing. In January 2006, I completely tore my ACL off my femur while log pressing 140 lbs for reps. I was preparing for the South Atlantic Strongman Championships. I was scheduled to compete in at least one competition per month for the first half of 2006, including the National Championships for both APF Powerlifting and North American Strongman, Inc National Championships. Once I have recovered, I plan to return to both strongwoman competitions as well as powerlifting.

I would like to return to NAS, Inc. Nationals and successfully defend my title, but am not sure if that will be possible this year. If not, I will have to return the following year and take it back!!! From what I have heard, the level of female competitors has really advanced this year and I can't wait to test myself against these women.

I expect to be ready to return to the APF SC State Powerlifting Championships and perform well enough to win again. I would really like to be able to break some of the records I set last year. And then, finally, make it to the APF Senior Nationals, so that I can test myself against the best in the country. It would be an honor to compete against the top girls in powerlifting.