Natasha has plenty of "girl power" (From This is The West Country)

Natasha has plenty of "girl power"

11:00am Sunday 7th October 2012 in News

THE phrase Girl Power takes on a whole new meaning for Natasha Clarke after she just missed out on a top three place in the 2012 Britain’s Strongest Woman competition.

Natasha, 28, who works at Impey Showers Ltd on the Conquest Business Park, Ilton, is certainly “doing it” for the girls by proving stronger than some of her male colleagues who work out at the Griffin Strongman Camp at North Perrott under the watchful eye of|trainer Phil Diamond.

“Some of the blokes don’t like it, but Natasha has been absolutely brilliant and is very dedicated to her training,” said Phil.

Natasha has only been actively involved in the sport for around a year, and in 2011 she came fifth in the British championships.

This time she finished fourth, so she is moving in the right direction.

“I was a little bit disappointed,” she said, “but I’m improving all the time, and to qualify for the world championships I have to win the British title, so I’ll keep|working hard.”

Natasha, better known as ‘Noosh’ to her friends, set a number of personal |bests during the competition, including lifting a 90kg Atlas Stone – the equivalent of lifting a fridge|freezer or four bags of cement.

“My mates think I’m slightly mad,” she said, “but I’ve come in useful when it has come to|helping friends move house!”

Natasha, who lives in Chard, admitted that her strength has seen her challenged on more than one occasion to arm wrestling matches by men in the pub, but she joked: “I tend to decline the|invitations because I wouldn’t want to show them up, but I’ve always invited them to come down to the gym and give it a go.”

She got involved in the sport through her older brother, Gary, who, suffers from cerebral palsy, but is currently preparing for the World’s Strongest Man for Disabled competition in Iceland.

For more|information about the Griffin Strongman Camp call Phil Diamond on 07775-980373.