Community Corner

Somerset County Woman Places At Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships

For Theresa Tamboer, focus, dedication, and commitment were the three key elements that took this working mom from running 5K races to taking 8th place in the women's lightweight class at the 2014 Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships.

Tamboer, 40, has always been an active person throughout her life, but says she found it harder to keep up with a daily fitness routine after having children.

That was until she joined Strength & Honor Fitness, a gym dedicated to weight and strength training in Somerville. Tamboer said she fell in love with the gyms friendly, yet competitive group training environment.

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“I'm a social person and a competitive person,” she said. “ I'm the youngest of three - you can't not be competitive when your the youngest of three.”

Even on the days when she just doesn't feel like getting up early for a workout, Tamboer said the busy schedule that once got in the way of her fitness rituals is actually what pushes her to get to the gym.

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“Being a working mom, my moments of when I can do what I want to do are very precise,” Tamboer said. “I have a window and if I miss that window it's done.”

Tamboer usually conditions and lifts about four times a week along with classes and two hours of Strongman training on the weekends. She says getting through the first ten minutes of any workout is enough motivation to keep going.

When Strength and Fitness gym owner Matt Keller took notice of Tamboer's dedication and talent he invited her to workout at one of his Strongman training sessions.

“I showed up for the first training session with him and I said 'you're crazy - there is no way I am going to be able to do this',” Tamboer explained.

However once the session was over, she was hooked. It wasn't long before Tamboer participated and placed in one of the gym's amateur contests held every year for charity.

“It's funny – I think she took third in this first contest and she had no idea what she was doing,” Keller said.

Keller, who has been competing in Strongman competitions himself for over 15 years said it's not uncommon for women to take part in competitive weight lifting, especially in his gym where the women seem to make up more of the attendance than men.

“More women stick with it than men do and I think it's simply because it takes a certain type of mental toughness to be able to handle this sort of workout,” he said.


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