Arm wrestling champs a formidable sister act
Dariah Hoeta was only meant to help her older sister train – she was never meant to become the under 75kg women’s arm wrestling champion and qualify to go to a competition in Turkey.
But that’s exactly what happened when the 20-year-old entered the East v West Qualifiers competition in Australia just 20 minutes before it was due to start.
Dariah was only meant to be there to support her sister Ashleigh, who is a renowned, record-breaking weightlifter and arm wrestler, but was convinced to give it a go.
“It just kind of blew my mind. I’d only been doing this four months,” she said.
“It was just an experience, and it didn’t matter what the result was – but obviously, it was positive.”
Dariah came first with her left arm and second with her right.
She said she definitely wanted to continue with the sport.
Her 27-year-old sister was also named the Oceania champion for women – and both have qualified to go to the East vs West Final in Turkey in July.
“We spent three to four months training, four to five days a week,” Ashleigh said.
The sisters have had two more competitions in New Zealand before they head to Turkey – one in Auckland later this month, then another in Tauranga in June.
If either of them win in Turkey, they will get to go to the East vs West World Championship in Florida in August.
Ashleigh, who is a sports ambassador for I Am Hope, said having her sister going to Turkey with her was a win in itself.
Asked if she’d be taking her two children, aged 5 and 7, along with her, Ashleigh laughed and said: “Heck, no.” She couldn’t be in sports mode and mum mode at the same time, she said.
The sisters are originally from Waitara, Taranaki and now live together in Hamilton, where Dariah is studying business, and Ashleigh is focusing on her sport.
Last November, Ashleigh became the first woman in history to bench press more than 300kg, when she lifted 317.5kg at the IPLNZ Tombstone Competition in Papakura, Auckland.
She smashed the former world record of 294.8kg, held by a United States athlete, making her the No 1 equipped female bencher in the world.