OUTLOOK - A very, very strong local woman is headed out east next month to see where she can place at a national competition.
Tori Anholt, an impressive powerlifter from Outlook, will travel to Summerside in Prince Edward Island for the 2024 Canadian Powerlifting Union National Championships, taking place in September.
In order to help her out with expenses related to the cross-country trip, AG Foods hosted a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, August 17, where dozens of people stopped in for some tasty flapjacks, sausages and fresh fruit.
Anholt, who's been competing in lifting events since April of 2021, says she's looking forward to the experience.
"I'm excited," she said, speaking to this reporter after the successful breakfast. "It's kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's always been a dream of mine and as things evolve, you become pretty stoked. I'm also feeling a lot of emotions, like the town support is super overwhelming and just great. Words almost can't express how I feel. It's nerve-wracking, I'm a little scared, but I've got to go out there and make weight. I just really don't want to disappoint anybody."
It was back in May of 2020 when a friend approached Tori with some fitness goals that she wanted to achieve. As someone who's active and liked to work out, Anholt was asked about training her. Feeling that she lacked the time and knowledge at the time, Tori declined and instead, introduced her friend to Geoff Dolan, who started training both women.
As a former strongman competitor, Milden native Dolan started training with Tori, introducing her to a style of workout that she'd never done before. Dolan, who achieved incredible success in his career such as placing 3rd in a Canada's Strongest Man competition in both 2000 and 2003, back to back 1st place wins in a Western Canada's Strongest Man event in 2002 and 2003, and placing 2nd as North America's Strongest Man in 2001, was obviously someone who saw something in Tori. This would plant the seeds of her competing, as Anholt began to enjoy lifting and pushing herself to see what she could accomplish. Her first event was held virtually due to Covid in the spring of 2021, which qualified her for the provincial meet later that year.
Three years later, she's looking at a Canadian nationals event, and Anholt has certainly put in the work for the opportunity.
"It was back in the fall, with provincials," she said. "I had to get a qualifying total of 417.5 kilos and I managed to do that, and then it was really just the decision to actually go and do this now."
With such a big event looming, as well as the possibilities that it could bring, nerves are something of a necessity. Tori says she's feeling them at the moment and trying to calm them down, but the training she's been doing has been a big help in keeping her focused on the goals at hand.
"Yes, and they're big," she said, on her nerves right now. "It's super overwhelming. There are a lot of what-ifs that roll through my head. The training's been going great, so that's fantastic. I've never flown for an event either, as I've only driven. Getting there and making weight is important to me, and when that's done, I'll settle into moving the big weight. I'm less concerned about that!"
With the recent opening of a new gym in Outlook, it's allowed Anholt a new space to continue pushing herself in her training regimen.
"I train four times a week and I've currently stepped up a bit more," she said. "I've gotten a new membership to the new gym here in town. Right now, I'm just doing a little bit there to try and cut weight a little bit faster."
With her training on point and her goals set in stone in her mind, Tori is looking a big opportunity right in the eye as she prepares to fly across the country next month for the Canadians nationals event.
Even with the thousand thoughts that have to be going through her head, she says she's blown away by the support she's been receiving here at home from family, neighbours and local residents; all of them wishing her well in the hopes that she comes home with a sense of accomplishment, if not an impressive showing.
"This is just ridiculous," said Tori, seeing the response she's gotten from the community. "I mean, I get it, I'm a hometown girl, but it's still unreal. I'm just super floored."
The national championship event takes place from September 9 to 14.
