THE Isle of Wight’s strongest woman, Natalie Mawudoku, believes she has the strength and raw talent to not only win the all-England title, but become a world champion.
However, there is one thing holding the Island-born HMP Isle of Wight civil servant back from becoming a serious contender — the specialist equipment she desperately needs to be able to train and compete in top events.
Natalie, of East Cowes, got her first-ever taste of a ‘strongest woman’ event — winning the Sussex title in 2017.
The ex-gym instructor, raised in a sporting family, entered it on the recommendation of her former gym, The Strong Room, Newport, the week it was staged.
Confident in her ability, Natalie, 26, entered the Isle of Wight Strongest Woman event last year, which she also won, to underpin her all-round talent in all weight disciplines.
Although disappointed at coming third in the recent Southern Strongest Woman contest, she believes she has the right stuff to win England’s Strongest Woman open title, in Lichfield, Staffordshire, on May 27.
“I’ve been good at many different sports, from sprinting at Hampshire and UK championship level, to playing football for Island and Shanklin Ladies,” said Natalie.
“I’m dedicated to doing weightlifting five or six days a week and winning the Sussex and Isle of Wight titles gave me confidence and spurred me on.
“I’ve watched the world championships. I know if I had the right equipment to train with, I could get to that level, but I know there’ll be some strong girls in the England competition, so it’s a bit scary knowing I cannot prepare properly.
“But I’m confident in my ability. I want to win it, but realistically, I’ll be aiming for the top three.
“This is a sport I’ll stick with, knowing I can excel in it.”
Natalie, who attended Carisbrooke High and trains at In-Shape, Cowes, under coach Jason Geldenhauys, hopes to raise £1,000 for specialist equipment through the Go Fund website: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/england039s-strongest-woman-equipment-funding
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