'Strength' in numbers

SANDUSKY — A powerful showing of athletic competition and community spirit came together. The Strongman Champions League made its debut in the U.S. with a two-day event. It started in Toledo on Friday and culminated in downtown Sandusky on Saturday. The league has been in existence for 18 years, said Jon Limber, the sports tourism coordinator for Shores & Islands Ohio who helped coordinate the event's portion in Sandusky. The league, meanwhile, has performed and competed in more than 100 countries. Saturday's event took place along Shoreline Drive. It featured elite athletes from around the globe. In addition to athletes from the U.S. and Canada, some hailed from Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Ghana and other countries. For some of the athletes, this marked their first time being in the U.S., Limber said. "The collaboration that we had with Toledo to be able to welcome them into the states is a historic moment for them," he added. "And for us to be able to take on the bulk of the competition to put this on is just exciting beyond anybody's wildest dreams." The strength competitions were challenging. Limber described the events as "iconic" and "legendary." Athletes tossed kegs into Sandusky Bay, pulled the Goodtime I ferry, yanked a tanker truck, competed in a skid loader deadlift and lifted atlas stones. With hundreds in attendance, many marveled at these feats of strength, providing a thrilling atmosphere. People cheered on the athletes as they worked through each event. "It's just downright incredible," Limber said. "I was having thoughts of what this could look like, what this could be, and this has exceeded my wildest expectations. I knew we would have a crowd, but I cannot believe we're this engaged. We're this excited. We put a lot of work in making sure that everybody knew about it, and it's here and it's incredible." Limber thanked the Strongman Champions League for coming to the U.S. and the community for showing up at the competition. "It's incredible to be able to show these athletes that we want them here, we're excited to have them here, and we're excited that they chose our destination as a place to be able to make a little bit of history for themselves," Limber said. On a related note, official merchandise from the event — sold all weekend — remains available at The Emporium at West Market Street, 314 W. Market St., Sandusky. A limited-edition run of Strongman T-shirts can still be purchased.