Kirkcaldy ladies lift Scotland's Strongest Woman titles

Danielle Ness and Sammy Mayhew, who both train at Apex Strength & Conditioning on Coal Wynd, won their respective categories at the event held in Motherwell on May 5.

Danielle, aged 30, came first in the Open weight class, while 25-year-old Sammy topped the Under 63kg category. The former Balwearie High School pupils have now qualified to compete in Britain’s Strongest Woman in Bolton in July.

For Danielle it was one step better than last year, while Sammy also earned the Best Novice prize in what was her first ever Strongwoman competition.

Danielle told the Press: “It’s fantastic that we both managed to win.

“I didn’t quite manage it last year, finishing second, so to pull it off this year is a big achievement.

“This was Sammy’s first competition, and she’s only been training for 15 weeks, so that was really good for her.

“It made all the blood, sweat and tears worthwhile – and there’s been plenty of tears and tantrums!

“We do a 12-week training course leading up to competitions and by time you get to the last week you’re just exhausted. But it’s all been worth it.”

Both ladies are trained by Barry Ford, a former Strongman himself.

“He’s just came back from seven years out with a serious back injury,” Danielle explained. “He’s taken us under his wing and done pretty well considering both his girls have come first.”

Danielle works as a carer, while Sammy combines her job as a leisure attendant with swimming and gymnastics coaching. For both, the commitment required to become Scotland’s Strongest Woman was huge.

“We train four days a week, for two or three hours a night, and we both work shifts so it’s been hard to fit everything in,” Danielle said.

“A lot of it is mental strength as well as physical strength.”

The girls will now look to put up a challenge at Britain’s Strongest Woman.

“Realistically, the girls down in England are miles ahead of us up here,” Danielle added.

“The girl that won Britain’s last year placed fourth in the Worlds, so we’ll go down hoping to medal but we’ve just got to do our best.

“I’d love to go to Europeans and Worlds in the next couple of years if I can maybe push through to get up to their level.”