Samoan Kuini Kwan is redefining what it means to be a woman in sports.

In a world where strength is often defined by male standards, Samoan strongwoman Kuini Kwan is working hard to raise the bar for women.

Strongwoman, the female equivalent of Strongman, is a sport that showcases the incredible strength and remarkable endurance of athletes.

For Kuini, it’s a sport that won her heart.

“I was first introduced to strongman, strongwoman at the end of 2019 by the owners of Decile One (gym). I did one novice comp, and I instantly fell in love with it,” Kuini says.

Her first taste of competition sparked a profound love and commitment to the sport, but it was her childhood experiences in Samoa that created a foundation for her passion for lifting.

“I think it’s just like the genes in me because in Samoa I used to lift a lot of like, I used to go and do the popo’s (coconuts) in the islands,” Kuini says.

In her first novice competition, Kuini took place without professional guidance from a coach.

Her determination to learn the techniques on her own resulted in a few injuries and setbacks.

“I went in not knowing what to do or anything like, the bar actually fell on my head because I didn’t know how to push the bar up,” she says.

One of the main injuries she sustained was to her back from a deadlift attempt of 150kg.

“There were a lot of mistakes but obviously I’ve learnt from it which is kind of the cool part,” she says.

“I’m seeing myself go from this not-so confident girl, not knowing what to do, to this really confident, strong person that I am.”

Before she could become the strongwoman she is today, Kuini had to first navigate the challenges of motherhood. She took a two-year hiatus in 2020 before making her comeback in late 2022 where she competed in her first national competition.

Her impressive feats in strongwoman includes holding the record dumbbell lift of 55kg for the U82 Women’s category and placing first in the Viking press lift with an 80kg attempt in last year’s competition.

The 2024 Strongman and Strongwoman competition this month is gearing up to be challenging and exciting for the 27-year-old. She’s dedicated four days of the week to training and is being coached online by Luke Selway.

“I think the cool thing about it is that no two competitions are ever the same. It’s always different,” Kuini says.

“We do a lot of different types of lifting like the monster dumbbell, we have the log – my favourite. And then we have to carry weights that’s over 200kg on our back and walk it 20m.

“And then we have things like the truck-pull and we’re lifting stones onto platforms… It’s just crazy, which is what I love about it. It’s a crazy sport.”

Her love for the sport extends beyond just competing, it also fuels her commitment to help others on their fitness journey. Kuini works as a personal trainer with City Fitness and a group trainer at Keepa Studio. She balances all of this while running an event decorating business on the weekends.

By taking on a traditionally male dominated sport, Kuini feels empowered to be in such a space with her female competitors, proving that strength isn’t just about lifting weights but lifting each other up.

“I’ve seen a lot of DMs from females wanting to try the sport out, but they’re just scared because it looks rough,” she says.

“Don’t be scared, just give it a try and see where it takes you or reach out to me,

“Being in this space has shown me how much power I have and that strength isn’t confined to a gender. And I hope to empower other females, or other women out there that, you know, pursue your dreams no matter how unconventional they may be.”

This article was first published on Tagata Pasifika’s website.