COURTESY OF OWENS MEDIA
PO2 Telford brings Canadian strength to the global stage
By Gabrielle Brunette,
FMF Cape Scott
Last year, Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2) Ashley Telford was awarded the title of Canada’s strongest amateur woman at the Strongman Corporation Canada Nationals in New Brunswick, earning her professional status in the sport.
This year, she’s going for the world title.
PO2 Telford will compete in the Women’s Masters 40+ division at the official Strongman Games in Arlington, Texas, from November 20 to 23, where she will face top athletes from around the world.
“This is going to be my biggest exposure yet,” PO2 Telford said. “If I win, I’ll be the strongest woman in the world over forty, in the heavyweight division. There’s a little plastic trophy, but it’s all about the bragging rights.”
Over the course of three days, Telford will face a total of six events. Day one includes log presses and a 450-pound timber frame carry, while day two features the deadlift ladder and the sandbag steeple chase. The third day is reserved for the top 10 finalists and tests competitors’ strength with the circus dumbbell ladder and the natural stone series.
“My goal is to hopefully get invited to the North American games based off of my performance in this competition,” she said.
A Marine Technician (Mar Tech) by trade, PO2 Telford is used to heavy lifting – an aspect of the job she’s always embraced – but she only started training for Strongmen competitions in October of 2022 with a learn-to-lift course taught by her current coach. In just three years, PO2 Telford has managed to make her mark on the sport, quickly rising from an amateur to professional athlete.
As an athlete, Mar Tech, and woman, PO2 Telford says she takes pride in her strength.
“It’s just good knowing that if I can, I will. Nothing stops you when you can lift 200 pounds overhead,” she said. “A couple of winters ago, my mom fell on the ice, and I picked her up and carried her to the house. She was just gobsmacked. ‘A woman did that?’ and I said, ‘Yes, a woman did that.’”
For PO2 Telford, Strongman competitions are about more than just physical strength, it’s a community of support and mutual respect.
“With Strongman, you don’t just cheer for yourself, you cheer for your competitors and all the other weight classes. It’s a crazy environment; you want everyone to keep pushing themselves and do their best,” she said.
We wish PO2 Telford the best of luck as she prepares to represent Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy on the global stage.
