Rosemary "Phoenix" Stroebel

Sitrusfees Schoemanskloof

2011-08-17T21:36:00.001+02:00

I am a sucker for punishment and ended up pulling against Shaunene Beeby van Dyk at the Sitrusfees near Nelspruit.

It was a lot of fun and took a lot out of me to pull her as she does outweight me by quite a bit.

In the end she won right arm with 5 - 0 BUT I left arm proved to be a different story and I took the victory 4 - 1. The crowds loved to see this come back and had everyone talking about how this skinny "girl" beat a big girl on the table.

Iron Arms Battlefields, Dundee - 9 July 2011

2011-07-14T20:11:00.000+02:00

Another great competition has come and gone.

I pulled in the under 65kg and 65kg+ classes so I could be sure I got enough table time in and as part of my training for Canada in October.

I conquered my class with little trouble and then had the fight of my life as I pulled against National Champions for the 70kg and 80kg classes.

I battled against Germari van Niekerk from 4Ever Armwrestling - Bloemfontein on the right arm and defeated her after a slip out and then an elbow foul from my opponent.

It was a long day and in the end I took Gold left and right in the under 65kg class and Bronze left and right in the 65kg+ class.

Thank you to Iron Arms Armwrestling Club Kwa Zulu Natal for a brilliant competition.

A Milestone Conquered - 29 June 2011

2011-06-30T18:18:00.000+02:00

In 2007 I started armwrestling and since that first day that Judy Jacobs beat me on the table I have been chasing her. Unfortunately in December 2010 Judy lost her fight against cancer and my hopes of ever winning her were crushed. But I knew there was another way of proving I have it in me to have beaten her on the table if she was still with us.

I had to beat Adri Koen - she had beaten Judy Jacobs at nearly every National Championships since 2007 and thus if I could win Adri, I would have crossed that milestone in my journey to become a World Champion.

So on Wednesday 29 June 2011 I faced off against Adri Koen (in the yellow above) on the table and the results left me happy, teary eyed and nostalgic all at the same time.

I initally thought she had beaten me right off the bat, just to find out I had lifted my elbow. Phew! Boy was I happy about that. So when we set up again I promised myself to make it count. And I did!

I am so grateful to God for giving me this gift and ability, even though I only discovered it much later in my life compared to some of the best female armwrestlers out there. Now I have to continue training hard, resting appropriately and doing the necessary to help my muscles and tendons to heal faster and properly. This includes the use of infrared lights to assist with healing and bloodflow.

Anyway, enough chit chat here is the video clip of me pulling Adri. Hope you enjoy!

Pulling for Pathways Naboom

2011-06-28T12:58:00.010+02:00

From Thursday 16 June to Saturday 18 June 2011 armwrestling hit Naboomspruit. On Thursday and Friday I was the referee while Terence Opperman pulled over 220 different people. All hoping to win R 10,000 should they beat him. Obviously it did not happen as Terence is one of the strongest and fittest armwrestlers in South Africa.

On Saturday there was an open competition and I pulled with a number of ladies who all weighed in heavier than me, as usual.

I pulled against a lady from Polokwane who tipped the scales at 115kg and believe me it was not all fat. She was tall, wide and really strong. When she took grip she actually felt sorry for me as my hand was not even half of her. Shame....if only she knew at that moment what would happen next.

I warned her to pull and not underestimate me and when they said go....I pulled her off that pad with so much back pressure I surprised myself.

See the video and some photos below:

There was an elbow foul for Claudette as I pulled her off the front of her pad. At this point I was still petrified that she might beat me as her side pressure was really strong.

In the end victory was mine and I beat Claudette. Even if it was on elbow fouls to my opponent. A win is a win!

I had a number of good pulls and ended up in the finals Left and Right against Schelna Scheepers. I took 2nd place both left and right which I could accept due to me having pulled randomly on Thursday and Friday as well.

More clips to come soon of this competition.

In the end armwrestling raised about R15,000 for Pathways Naboom. So all in all it was a really great weekend.

Phoenix vs Bolla - Right Arm - 4 June 2011

2011-06-11T15:26:00.001+02:00

So on 4 June 2011 I vanquished Simone "Bolla" Griessel on the left arm 5 - 1.

The right arm was no joke as this is her strong point and I knew I had to bring it all to the table if I wanted to take the overall win.

Match 1 saw me buckle and Match 2 was a disaster BUT on Match 3 I gathered all my strength together both physically and mentally and went for gold. In the end we had a draw on the right hand 3 - 3.

Maybe "Bolla" was happy with that but I knew that I was going to have to train harder and smarter to beat her next time we matched up on a table....

Must end off with this point though: I won the Supermatch with a 8 to 4 overall score. Not bad to a skinny gal if I have to say so myself.

Just want to add this comment placed on facebook from an armwrestler that I admire for his strength and dedication to the sport of armwrestling:

Terence Opperman

I just want to compliment you on your way of arm wrestle. you always look neat and ladylike and what you do you do good. your a example for other arm wrestlers... . and a great arm wrestler, one that South Africa can't go with out..and can be proud to have you as an arm wrestler. .

It is comments like these that keep me moving forward. Thank you!

Supermatch 4 June 2011

2011-06-06T23:20:00.002+02:00

So I took on the powerhouse, Simone "Bolla" Griessel from Bloemfontein....it was a hard match and not one single win was easy, but in the end I did it. I beat her on the left arm 5 - 1!

Right arm was a different story we drew at 3 - 3. Will have to work harder if I want to beat her in the future though.

Supermatch / Grudge Match - 4 June 2011

2011-06-02T19:14:00.000+02:00

I first met her in Bloemfontein at Highway Pub. She wasted me on the right arm BUT I showed her what I was made of left.

Then I met her on the table at SA's Strongest Arm and I could have kicked myself when I fouled out with TWO elbow fouls.

So on Saturday 4 June I will be facing Simone "Bolla" Griessel on the table again - Left and Right - to see who will come home victorious.

I am stressing as Bolla is a bit bigger than me and I would most probably never pull against her in the average competition but I never shy away from a challenge and so I have set myself up for one of my biggest challenges for this year.

Rosemary "Phoenix" Stroebel vs Simone "Bolla" Griessel

This is definitely going to be a match worth watching. I hope to tape some if not all of it and will post it for my friends to see the outcome firsthand.

National Champion 2011 - Ladies 60kg

2011-05-17T17:01:00.000+02:00

Yip, I did it again. Took Gold left and right at the Nationals against some great opponents.

I then qualified for the Round Robin match on the Saturday evening against the top ladies (Gold & Silver medalists of each weight category) and ended up with 6th place. Not bad but now I will aim for a higher position next year.

SA Nationals 2011

2011-04-19T18:47:00.000+02:00

It happens every year and every year I start to stress as I wonder if there will be someone new who will come in and take my place as SA Champion.

I believe I am the best in my weight class but I know that there are strong ladies out there and one day I will match up with them on the table and may just come of second best.

I have done the training and now I am taking the appropriate rest time to ensure I am on maximum strength by Nationals.

I have not been in such good shape for a long time and really feeling confident.

This year is extra special as the top ladies will also be pulling in a Strongest Arm Round Robin to see who is the very best of the cream of the crop of SA Ladies armwrestling. You qualify by taking gold in your weight class so I am sure I will be there.....I hope ;)

So as I ramble on I am feeling the butterflies and the quickened heartbeat.

Nationals must hurry up now and happen!

Update 4 April 2011

2011-04-05T14:42:00.000+02:00

It has been a while since I posted my last update regarding my training, etc.

I have still been training really hard and benched 50kg last week which is a personal best for a long time coming. Last benched that much when I weight 68kg and I now weigh in at 60kg. 10kg to go and I can bench my own weight which is supposed to be what I am supposed to be able to bench. It is much easier on a machine than with free weights but I will stick to free weights as this is a far more accurate gauge of true strength.

This weekend that passed (2 April), Danie, Ryno and I went to Bloemfontein to do another Referee course and to tie up a few loose ends regarding our upcoming Nationals. We pulled in a small local competition while we were there. I fell out on the right arm but made a SWEET comeback on the left and took first place!

Two of my competitors tipped the scales at 100kg+ but I gave them a good run for their money and am happy with the weekends pulling. Also did a lot of training and pulling before and after the competition to ensure I don't waste a single second of training before our Nationals end April.

This weekend coming will be our last major training session, which will be taking place in Witbank next to the dam. There will be a lot of sore arms, blisters and no doubt a little fishing and braaivleis afterwards so that we can all bond and wind down in preparation for our biggest and this year most amazing event ever.

Here is a few photos of my toughest opponents at this weekend's armwrestling below.

Mike's Kitchen Challenge - Satuday 19 March 2011

2011-03-20T16:58:00.000+02:00

Had a great competition on Saturday. Pulled in a supermatch against Amor van der Heever as she is my biggest competition at Nationals and am proud to say I beat her 3 - 0 thus giving me sufficient confidence to continue training as I am doing.

I then went on to participate in a strong woman event and took 2nd place with my light frame and small arms (LOL)

After that I then competed in the Ladies Open division and took a third place against the heavier ladies. So all in all I did really well for the day.

Will still post photos and a little footage of my matches later on for everyone to enjoy.

Armwrestling will always rule!

See everyone at Nationals....oh wait I am going compete in Bloemfontein on 2 April 2011 but I am not going to rest for this competition as it is all build up to Nationals and I don't want to waste a single day.

Rest vs Training

2011-03-16T19:03:00.000+02:00

Once again I am resting up my muscles. We all know you have to train hard to be able to become stronger and better in the sport of armwrestling BUT due to the nature of our sport you must also rest.

Our muscles break down if we overtrain them and overtraining is the one thing most armwrestlers do.

I spend a lot of my time in front of a computer due to the nature of my work and then I spend hours at home on the computer with armwrestling admin, updating websites, posting to my blog :) and networking on facebook.

Sometimes it is nice to just be able to lounge around and not have to worry about anything other than watching movies and doing absolutely nothing.

Anyway Saturday I am competing in another competition and will be pulling in a supermatch against Amor van der Heever. She took silver in 2010 on the left arm and has been showing improvement every time I have pulled her. I have not armwrestled her for a while and cannot wait to see what happens.

Lynx Limpopo Vendetta - 26 February 2011

2011-03-01T21:35:00.000+02:00

It was a long drive to Polokwane but definitely worth the 3 hour trip.

I was stressing big time to be pulling Yorinda Nel, Daleen Kempen and Nicoleen Forster. On Saturday they decided to throw a spanner in the works and added a fifth person, Cherise Bekker. Also of small frame but then size does not really always count now does it.

Any way I took 2nd place out of the 5 and accepted my defeat to Yorinda Nel, who is a power house and now my goal to beat :)

See the video clips below of my top 4 matches that took a lot of strength and technique to ensure a win for me.

I must add that I cannot wait to pull Daleen Kempen again as I can only hope to do better or at least match her again on the table.

Daleen Kempen vs Rosemary Stroebel - Match 2

2011-03-01T21:33:00.000+02:00

Nicolene Forster vs Rosemary Stroebel - Match 2

2011-03-01T21:32:00.001+02:00

Rosemary Stroebel vs Daleen Kempen - Match 1

2011-03-01T21:32:00.000+02:00

Rosemary Stroebel vs Nicolene Forster - Match 1

2011-03-01T21:31:00.000+02:00

Training - Thursday 17 February 2011

2011-02-17T21:01:00.000+02:00

Had a good session tonight.

Started off with bench press and had to exceed my previous weight of 40kg.

My first set was with 40kg and I did 8 reps.

Second set wass 45kg and I did 4 reps.

Third set was 48kg and I did 2 reps.

These sets were all done unassisted. Danie stood by to ensure I did not ending up getting hurt and in case the weights got the better of me, but in the end he only had to help me in my last set with rep number 3 which I did not count as I could not complete it on my own.

After that I did peck deck with 30kg - 3 sets of 8 reps

The it was wrist curls with the rolling thunder and 15kg of weight. Did 3 sets of 20 reps with the clip at the top and 3 sets of 20 with the clip at the bottom to simulate the toproll and hook actions. This was per arm and with the last set I thought I was going to die as the burning sensation started to interfere with my ability to pull the weight towards me.

Now I will rest until next weekend 26 February for the 4 women Round Robin match to be held in Polokwane. I have some tough opponents and want to show some of the guys out there that this light weight can armwrestle and kick ass!

Training - Monday 14 February

2011-02-15T23:02:00.001+02:00

It may have been Valentine's Day but nothing was going to deter me from my training.

I have about two weeks left before the Round Robin challenge in Polokwane and thus cannot waste any time wondering about what to do....I just need to do!

So here is my training for Monday with the weight done:

Bicep curls with E-Z bar on preacher bench = 52kg
Bicep / Hammer / Reverse Curl Superset = 11kg
Tricep pushdowns = 20kg
Shoulder reverse extenstions = 10kg
Dumb bell shoulder press = 7kg
Rolling thunder wrist curls (on cable machine) = 15kg

Felt good and look forward to the next session of upper body training.

Sunday 13 February 2011

2011-02-13T21:30:00.000+02:00

Cannot believe how much my forearms are aching right now. Gert and Schelna came to visit and I pulled a little against Schelna just to test if I am on the right track or not with my strength training, and now I cannot believe how much my arms actually hurt.

I wonder if her arms are aching right now LOL =)

Anyway I know I am on track and my strength is definitely improving. Have another week of hard, heavy training ahead before I scale down in preparation for the round robin match on 26 February in Polokwane.

My ultimate goal still remains becoming world champion and dethroning Chris Rejane from Brazil and maybe I will be able to achieve this on her home soil in 2012, thus giving me a little over 20 months to catch up and kick her ass.

Training - 10 February 2011

2011-02-10T20:30:00.000+02:00

It is always important to listen to your body and what it needs. It is also important to not always listen to your mind and what it does not want.

After four days of no training due to a dull ache in my right arm I started training again today. Did the full upper body workout and actually I am feeling good.

Can still lift 48kg with the E-Z bar on the preacher bench and happily benched 40kg as warm up to todays training session.

Busy working on dropping my weight back down to 60kg in preparation for the Nationals but currently not trying too hard as I still have the Round Robin end of February against Schelna, Yorinda and another member from Lynx Limpopo. Looking forward to pulling with these monsters of female armwrestling and hope to make my mark.

Bloemfontein - 5 February 2011

2011-02-07T21:12:00.000+02:00

Went to Bloemfontein to present a Referees course along with Ryno Oosthuizen.

We ended up having 15 members from Bloemfontein who took the course of which only 13 passed.

It was a lot of fun and it ended up being a long day as we went over the rules, signals used by referees and the various calls and scenarios that they may come across during a competition.

After the Referee Clinic was over we did what every armwrestlers loves to do....we armwrestled. I took on the ladies of Bloemfontein starting with Germarie van Niekerk, then Elzette Burger, Sheree Chamberlain and Liandi Koorsen (an 11 year old who has a lot more strength than you would expect from such a young girl).

By Sunday morning my arm was aching and on Monday I was swallowing anti-inflammatories and pain pills just so I could make it through the day.

Anyway they say no pain, no gain....so I must have made a lot of gains after this weekends pulling... LOL

Thursday 3 February 2011

2011-02-03T07:21:00.000+02:00

Have been feeling a little sick since Saturday evening and struggling to shake this ache that seems to go deep into my muscle tissue. Resting this week to give my body a fighting chance and hope that I feel a thousand times better before the weekend.

I spent the whole of last night putting together a DVD of Danie and I at the World Championships for our sponsors so that they can see first hand how we did and what we experienced and hopefully this will inspire them to open their pockets for another year.

This Saturday coming (5 Feb) I will be hosting my first Referee Course in Bloemfontein and hope to have a good, talented turnout so that I can see growth in our Referee pool as well. We need more Refs so that I can also go to a competition and just enjoy myself and pull instead of working the whole time.

Anyway here is my catch up for the week.

Keep on pulling and remember to rest when your body says "enough is enough".

Saturday 29 January 2011 Competition

2011-01-31T22:23:00.002+02:00

My first competition for 2011 saw me go home with first place left and right for the ladies under 65kg category and second place left and right for the ladies 65kg+ category.

Felt good as the day started and dominated in my own weight class. The heavier ladies gave me a good go but in the end it was only Mickyla Fulton from my club that could take me down :(

This competition proved that my training is definitely paying off. My next big competition will be the four women round robin hosted by Lynx Limpopo end of February.

Here are a few pictures from this weekends competition of me pulling - mainly from the open class against Nicolene Forster and Narinda Forster, but also a few others as well.

After the competition I pulled against some of the guys on slow start just to test my strength and was rather amazed at how strong my right arm had become. Corne Erasmus had to work a little to pin this girl and it did my ego good to know that he had a hard time doing it. Not sure how his ego felt afterwards but he did pin me so that should count for something :)

My left still has a lot of work before it will be back up to standard but I won't stop training until I am equal in strength with both arms.

Training (pre-competition)

2011-01-26T18:34:00.002+02:00

Saturday 29 January 2011 there is a competition in Pretoria and I cannot wait. Feel like I have withdrawal symptoms from armwrestling.

Not sure of the weight categories but want to pull above and below 65kg if available. I have been training hard for the last four weeks and believe that I will surprise a few people at this competition.

Anyway this weeks training consists of mostly very light training to keep blood flow going and from Thursday no training at all until the competition.

My weight is good and hovering around 64kg at the moment and I will start looking at going on diet to drop back down to 60kg after this competition. Then it will be lots of skinless chicken breasts / lean steak and salads and vegetables....mmmmm.

As always I will be recording the matches from this weekends competition and will be posting my matches for my friends to comment on and give me a boost where necessary :)

Training - Week 4 - Wednesday & Thursday

2011-01-21T18:36:00.002+02:00

Wednesday was legs and stomach training......again. Not my favourite but I do it to strengthen my core as this is just as important as my upper body.

Did the usual routine of leg raises, extensions, calf raises, situps on the roman bench, etc.

Thursday was back and shoulders and turned out not to be a good day for training. I had barely started my workout when I felt a burning sensation in my right bicep, shooting up into my shoulder. Turns out I have overtrained and ended up with inflammation in my bicep and forearm.

So it is rest time for me to allow it all to heal up properly and to give the inflammation time to go away. Using anti-inflammatories and one or two pain killers just to make it a little easier on myself :)

Anyway, the old saying is remember to rest...so I am going to listen and rest.

Guess I deserve a little rest and on the 29th January is my first competition for the year in Pretoria. Will be pulling some of the best ladies armwrestlers in South Africa and thus will have to ensure I am injury free by then.

All this pain and yet I won't swap this sport for anything....not even a million dollars...lol

Training - Week 4 - Tuesday

2011-01-18T18:52:00.002+02:00

My arms are killing me. Today was triceps and I was not in the mood. Had a tough, busy day at work and my feet your really hurting as well.

Anyway did my sets and the results are in:

Tricep pushdowns = 18kg (improved by 3kg)

Skull crushers = 15kg

Tricep bench = 30kg (improved by 5 kg)
Tricep extentions = 14kg (improved by 3kg)

Kickbacks = 4kg (higher reps for toning - improving on last week by 2kg)

Training - Week 4 - Monday

2011-01-17T20:03:00.002+02:00

Had a great training session tonight, once again pushing boundaries.

EZ bar - preacher bicep curls = 48kg (improved by 2kg)
Hammer bar - free hammer curls = 33kg (improved by 2 kg)
Single dumb bell bicep curls = 25kg (improved by 3,5kg)

Incline bench press = 30kg

Again did table time after my session was over and felt good doing some hook training and also giving my wrists are good workout.

A point to remember:

Sometimes it takes discipline to stop when you have finished your session even when your arm tell you that you can keep going, but if you push too far you end up doing more harm to all the hard work than doing good.

I am feeling positive and know I am on the right track....cannot wait for the next competition...

Training - Week 3 - Wednesday & Thursday

2011-01-14T16:19:00.003+02:00

Wednesday is legs and stomach training. High reps with low weights to burn unwanted fat and strengthen the core but without building bulk muscle.

Thursday was Back and Shoulders and saw me breaking BIG barriers for myself.

Lat pulldowns = 45kg (improved by 15kg)
High rows = 55kg (improved by 15kg)
Low rows = 50kg (improved by 25kg)
Rolling thunder single lat pullins = 15kg

Shoulder press = 18kg
90 degrees Shoulder lift = 4kg
Trapt lifts with rope = 5kg

Again did a little table time after killing myself with all the weights :)

I did not due any forearm specific training this week but will incorporate it next week as I go along.

Anyway Friday, Saturday and Sunday is rest days to allow all the muscles and tendons an opportunity to rest.

Enjoy your weekend everyone and see you back here on Monday for the next week of training.

Training Week 3 - Tuesday

2011-01-11T19:42:00.004+02:00

Tricep training is my pet hate. I have never concentrated much on this muscle and thus never really developed its potential.

Anyway today was triceps *urgh* and I have this lame feeling in my arms that made me call on my husband assistance to get out of the bath because they just did not want to play along.

So here it is:

Tricep pushdowns = 15kg (improved by 2kg)
Skull crushers = 15kg (improved by 2kg)
Tricep bench = 25kg (improved by 7kg)
Tricep extention = 11kg (same as previous)
Kickbacks = 2kg (high reps for toning and at this point my triceps are FINISHED and I can barely lift this minimal weight)

Feeling happy with this as I see improvement every week on my performance and strength.

And as some of the best armwrestlers internationally advise: Listen to your body and rest when you need to and don't overdo it. If you have an injury, let it heal.

Push yourself to the limit, but respect your limitations so as not to create injury or harm to yourself AND ALWAYS do heavy training with a partner to push you that little further and to catch the weights when you are at failure.

So I leave you with this - safe training and push yourself to YOUR limit!

Training - Week 3 - Monday

2011-01-10T20:37:00.002+02:00

Today was biceps again and I feel awesome although I can already feel the twinges from the heavy training and table time.

EZ bar - preacher bicep curls = 46kg (improved by 3kg)
Hammer bar - free hammer curls (wide and narrow grip) = 31kg (improved by 8kg)
Single dumb bell bicep curls = 21,5kg (improved by 5,5kg)

Overall happy with this outcome and will continue upping the weight until I can't hold them and hopefully that does not happen to soon.

Table time went off well. Did a lot of hook training, especially left, considering that is still my weak spot.

Training - Week 2

2011-01-07T10:46:00.003+02:00

My first week of training saw me breaking personal boundaries.

EZ-bar - preacher bicep curls = 43kg
Hammer bar - free hammer curls = 23kg
Single dumb bell bicep curls = 16kg
Tricep pushdowns = 13kg
Wrist curls (free weight) = 20kg
Wrist curls (cable with wide grip handle) = 16.5kg
Lat pulldowns = 30kg
High rows = 40kg
Low rows = 25kg
Single cable lat pulls with wide grip handle = 16,5kg

I then continued to equal these same weights for week 2.

I will continue to push myself to pass the above weight limits as I continuously strive to get stronger, that is why I put it black on white so to speak so that I cannot fool myself later on and slack off.

So weekend has come and it is time to rest up for another week of hard training.

Going to also start eating correctly on Monday, to get my weight back under control, as I now tip the scale at 63kg thanks to all the Christmas cake, burgers, pizza and sweets.....but oh how I love all these treats and struggle to say no to them :(

Remember to keep checking back to see my progress in my training.

World Championships 2010

2010-12-29T22:01:00.005+02:00

Check out my video clips of my matches left and right at the World Championships.

Took two hits from the start to come 17th on the left and one win, one bye and two hits to come 7th on the right.

All in all I am happy with the results but have already started training, harder and heavier to gain strength and hopefully do far better in 2011 in Kazakhstan.

As for the Referee course: I went with the idea of becoming a Junior and walked away with my WAF Senior Referee status....an achievement I am very proud of.

Rosemary Stroebel (RSA) vs Ekaterina Larina (RUS)

2010-12-29T22:01:00.000+02:00

Chris Rejane (BRA) vs Rosemary Stroebel (RSA)

2010-12-29T22:00:00.001+02:00

Krista Snow (USA) vs Rosemary Stroebel (RSA)

2010-12-29T22:00:00.000+02:00

Mika Fujimoto (JPN) vs Rosemary Stroebel (RSA)

2010-12-29T21:59:00.000+02:00

Rosemary Stroebel (RSA) vs Tatyana Nikisheva (RUS)

2010-12-29T21:58:00.000+02:00

World Championships - 5 - 11 December 2010

2010-11-30T21:46:00.003+02:00

Everyone is getting excited and cannot wait for the World Championships to start. I am not excluded from this mad mob of people that "Live to Pull".

On Friday 3 December I will hand over my house keys to a family member who will be looking after our three dogs and two cats (one must ensure that your extended family is cared for) and we will be heading off to OR Tambo to catch our flight to the USA.

The excitement is difficult to contain in our home as my husband and I check and double check that we have everything ready to go.

I will be attending the Referee seminar and hope to be the FIRST FEMALE South African International Referee, thus ticking off one of my goals as an armwrestler and maybe I might even come close to those beautiful medals that are up for grabs to the best armwrestlers in the world.

Rankings Tournament 2010

2010-10-28T20:05:00.002+02:00

Rankings is on Saturday 30 October and I am looking forward to it with a little apprehension as usual.

Will 2010 be the fourth year that I take the trophies home or is there going to be someone who is going to dethrone me this year.

I have been training hard for the World Championships but am always too aware that there may be someone out there who may be better than me here in South Africa...I have no doubt that there are a number of amazing armwrestlers internationally that will kick my ass so to speak on the table.

Only time will tell and the count down is two looooonnnng days for me to see if I will maintain this perfect record or share this title with someone in 2010.

Last year I took on Eunize du Plessis, who ruled the roost before my time and returned to armwrestling in South Africa in 2009. I was worried as she had a lot of strength and I had never pulled against her in competition. See the video clip below to see the outcome of the finals Right Arm.

Rosemary Video Profile

2010-10-23T18:37:00.000+02:00

Training 20 October 2010

2010-10-20T21:08:00.002+02:00

On Monday 18 October I did 640 pulls with the pulleys and weights. Starting with 15kg on the side pressure and hook, then doing bicep and top roll. My arms were paste when I was finished.

Today I did 100 pulls. Surprised myself but my hubby said "seeing is believing" so I showed him that if I put my mind to it I CAN!

Feel good and know that my strength is building with every training session.

Now I will rest up for the Nationals Rankings event as I have to defend my title of Nationals Champion for Ladies under 65kg - I have held this title on the left and right arm since 2007 and hope to bring home the trophies again this year.

Armwrestling rules!

Rosemary vs Amor - SA Nationals 2010

2010-10-20T20:59:00.001+02:00

SA Nationals 2010 Ladies u/60kg Finals Left

Rosemary vs Elzette - SA Nationals 2010

2010-10-20T20:58:00.001+02:00

SA Nationals 2010 - Ladies u/60kg Finals Right

New SA Ladies 60kg Champion

2010-09-19T14:28:00.006+02:00

So the dust has settled and as I sit here thinking back I still cannot believe that I am the new SA Champion for ladies under 60kg.

It was a tough year so far. I had to contend with cronic flu that kept me from training to my full potential for two months. This in turn cost me on the table at some competitions in this period.

I am now in full training mode for the World Championships and rearing to go.

I am hitting the weights harder than ever and working on my speed and technical skills on the table.

Watch out USA because here I come and I am planning on doing well at this years Worlds.

Photo shoot in Secunda

2010-05-18T16:27:00.003+02:00

Here is a few photos of myself and Schelna on the table....

Tuesday 18 May 2010

2010-05-18T16:16:00.005+02:00

Had a great workout yesterday and I can feel it in my arms and shoulders.

I did a lot of side pressure training on the table with the cables and rolling thunder handle - in total I did about 150 pulls per arm with 10kg and then 50 pulls per arm with 15kg.

I then did bicep curls with the cables and rolling thunder handle with 10kg on the table.

I finished with with tricep push downs and finally a little table time, concentrating on the hook.

I must add that I felt strong and in control for the first time against my training partner, who outweighs me by about 25kg. She is really strong and I have to work hard to pull her on the best of days.

Here is a photo of us training a few months back >>>>>

A Mind Shift

2010-04-04T13:30:00.002+02:00

Up until now I have walked into a competition thinking, it is ok to lose.

NO MORE! From today onwards I will always go into a competition to win. No excuses!

I want to train so hard that people start to think I am crazy and I want to represent South Africa at the World Championships and make my country proud. I want a medal in 2010!

Some may say I am aiming too high, I say if you don't aim to reach the top of Mount Everest then you will never get there - ever.

I have the tools to become one of the best armwrestlers out there - I just need to start using them to their full potential.

Watch this space - I am a champion in the making!

A New Weight Achieved

2010-03-10T20:11:00.003+02:00

It has been a while since I have blogged. Working hard at my new job and training hard to reach my goal weight of under 60kg.

It is official! I have reached my goal weight and am now going to prepare my body and mind to pull in a whole new weight category for the Worlds.

I feel more positive than ever to compete and cannot wait for our Nationals so that I can see how I do amongst my peers locally.

I am confident that I will do well considering I am training with some of the best armwrestlers in South Africa.

I will post one or two photos now that I have lost the extra kilos. It is amazing to feel so fit and strong at my age.

Anyway back to training! See you all at the table.

Sondag - 20 December 2009

2009-12-29T17:42:00.004+02:00

Graceland Armwrestling Challenge

2009-12-16T20:28:00.003+02:00

The Graceland Challenge is one of the biggest pro competitions in South Africa.

Every year I have failed to compete mainly because of distance to qualify and bad luck.

Anyway 2009 will see me competing and I am excited and nervous. Some of the biggest names in ladies armwrestling will be competing, including Liezl de Jager and Schelna Scheepers. I cannot wait to get them on the table and hope to give them a challenge on the table. I don't want to be a walk over :)

I had a big competiton last Saturday and my arm still feels a little "off" but I am resting it and doing all the necessary to get it ready for the big event. It is not going to be an excuse if I do not do well but it will be a factor in my overall performance.

I know what I want to do on the table Saturday and hope to toproll the shit out of my opponents.....

Bears Armwrestling Invitational 2009

2009-12-14T18:50:00.003+02:00

This past Saturday 12 December saw us driving over 425 km to Bloemfontein to take on some of the Free State armwrestlers.

It was a tiring drive but well worth the experience. We were treated like royalty and had an absolute blast.

There was 61 entries and for a change the ladies class had 8 entries. My toughest opponents were Elzette Burger and Sheree Chamberlain, who is 16 years old. They both gave me a good match but in the end I came out victorious and brought home the Gold.

Thank you guys for a brilliant weekend and a big thank you to the Engelbrecht family for a great braai after the competition. I was so tired after such a long day I ended up falling asleep on my chair.

Bloemfontein is the bomb and I will definitely go to their next competition...

Who is Next?

2009-12-07T18:02:00.006+02:00

At the Rankings I pulled a friendly match against Liezl de Jager. She holds the title for Ladies 75kg for three years now.

We set up at the table and something just felt right. I heard the Ready---Go and was amazed to have Liezl not slam me in the first few seconds. We ended up in a battle with me clutching her fingers as she slowly lost grip and tried to bail. Eventually I could no longer hold on and we slipped.

They called a deliberate slip and gave Liezl a foul. We set up again but I was in such shock from almost pinning her that I did not concentrate on my lines and it became an easy win for her second time round.

I am feeling positive and will continue to train hard and hope to one day win her on the table. I have been chasing her for three years now and I am almost there. So now I will have to start considering finding a new target to chase.....

The list is long if I think of the girls internationally.....so now I just have to decide on Who's Next?

3rd Time National Champion Ladies 65kg

2009-11-29T18:01:00.004+02:00

Saturday 28 November 2009 was a stressful day for me.

I had no idea what was going to happen. I had tough competitors such as Eunize du Plessis and Esmarelda Nel.

My first pull on the left arm was against Esmarelda and my nerves were frayed. I made a conscious decision to not feel intimidated and took my grip making sure I felt comfortable. What happened next surprised me. We slipped and went into a strap match. I just felt so comfortable and when the Ref said go I put everything into it and I pinned her with ease.

I then got Eunize on the table and I started off with a jump start, which was a good thing as I could feel my line was all wrong and I readjusted. From there it was smooth sailing and I took her arm home.

Right arm was pretty much the same, except that Esmarelda did not pull there as she pulled in the Junior Girls category on the right arm.

So I came home with the trophies and gold for the third year in a row. I am really proud of this achievement but won't let it get to my head because I know that someone is going to come along and eventually dethrone me......until then I will continue training hard and keep watching armwrestling video clips so that I can keep on learning and bring South African female armwrestling up to world class standards..

SA Rankings Tournament

2009-11-26T14:44:00.002+02:00

Saturday 28 November is our national rankings tournament. I have been resting for two weeks now and feel physically ready for the challenge.

I hope some of my top competitors are there this year.

My weight is now 63.5kg and my strength is up considerably since last year or even the Nationals earlier this year.

Cannot wait.......can't it be Saturday already.

Good bye Dad (29/12/1936 - 17/11/2009)

2009-11-19T09:51:00.005+02:00

In loving memory of my father, Louis Johannes Botha, who passed away on 17 November 2009.

We may not have had as much contact as many kids have with their parents but I did love him very much. He was sick for a while now but hid it from us how bad it really was.

Seems he may have had leukemia or another form of cancer and we will only know for sure later in the week.

I can only comfort myself with the idea that he is no longer in any pain and that he is now in a far better place. I was lucky enough to be with him when he took his last breath but wish that he did not have to face his illness alone. He was a stubborn man and did not want to burden us with his problems.

Love you Dad. May your soul rest in peace.

Training - training - training

2009-11-14T18:53:00.002+02:00

They say that table training is the most important training when you want to armwrestle seriously.

Second comes pullups. On this front I have always been sorely lacking. My upper body strength just was not up to standard and pullups was a mountain that I needed to conquer.

Most people that cannot do a pullup will understand the frustration if you grip that bar and realise that you just cannot pull yourself up, not even a millimeter.

I took on the challenge and taught myself to do pullups by attaching an elastic/resistance bands to assist me in achieving a full pullup. As I became more confident and stronger I started removing the bands one by one.

Today I can do a pullup without any assistance and without jerking to achieve a pullup.

So if you think it is impossible just find a way to convince your body that it can and you will find that eventually you will achieve the impossible.

If I can do it then almost anyone can. You just have to really want to.

On the Bench

2009-11-12T21:07:00.002+02:00

I am working hard to build my upper body strength and have surpassed myself with the bench press.

Yesterday (11/11/09) I benched 43kg free weight. On the bench press machine I can now go over 70kg.

I will only be happy when I can bench 70kg free weight. I know I will get there. It takes time and I just have to be patient.

A Big Surprise

2009-10-25T09:00:00.002+02:00

I accepted the challenge match against Michelle Opperman after my previous challenger had to withdraw. Michelle is a really strong and tough opponent - even if "she never practices". At 18 that usually does not matter too much when you are still coming into your physical power.

Anyway I was apprehensive because I had not beaten Michelle on the table in a competition for more than a year. But I am a brave soul and although I was scared shitless I said "why not".

Saturday morning I woke up feeling confident and ready for the day. My arms were twinging and my hands hurt but I still felt calm.

When our names were called I felt the adrenalin surging through my veins and rising my blood pressure making me more alert and ready.

Michelle fought for her grip struggling to get comfortable on the table. She is not the type of opponent you give an inch to or she will cream you.

Anyway all that said I surprised myself completely.

The final results from our challenge match was:

Left - Rosemary 3 - Michelle 3

Right - Rosemary 4 - Michelle 2

Now that is something to be proud of.

It was a great day and I ended up going home feeling really tired and drained from a day of armwrestling and refereeing.

Thanks to Terence Opperman for hosting such a great event.

Challenge 24th October 2009

2009-10-21T13:33:00.002+02:00

I got a call last night from Terence Opperman to let me know that my challenger, Yorinda Nel, no longer can participate in the competition on Saturday.

Is it fear or fate? Who cares.

Now I will be up against my arch nemisis Michelle Opperman aka Xena.

So Phoenix vs Xena...... that can be a colourful battle of arms.......

Am I worried? Hell yeah. She is strong and has a really mean hook but I am up to the challenge and will give my best and who knows..... I may just surprise everyone and even myself......

Hook em High

2009-10-12T22:13:00.002+02:00

I have always been a toproller and struggle to make the transition in my technique to anything other than toproll, but with a lot of patience from my hubby and coach I am slowly getting there.

Tonight I went against our clubs strongest female toproller, Mickyla and hooked her every time. It felt great to have that kind of hand control. They say a toproll beats a hook, and this may be true, but you have to get in the toproll first :)

Just for fun I measured my right forearm and was surprised to find it has grown by 1cm ;) Left is going nowhere right now but I am working on it. Just seems to take me longer to feel comfortable with the same movements left that I am using right.

Anyway it is time to rest my muscles thus I am off to bed. The best training should always be followed by protein and sleep.

The Training Begins

2009-10-07T20:22:00.002+02:00

I am putting all my energy and training into preparing for the Challenge against Yorinda Nel. Not that I am worried but because I know she is training just as hard to kick my ass on the table.

I took a rest day on Monday to heal up from Sunday's competition.

Tuesday saw me training biceps and chest. I actually went a little heavier than I have been doing in the past and I felt it when I woke up on this morning.

Today I did shoulders and back. Again going a little heavier than what I am used to but actually enjoying the burn.

Tomorrow will be triceps and stomach with a little leg action. Don't like training my legs to much because I tend to build muscle quickly and this ends up giving me unwanted weight.

Let's hope that I reach my goal and kick ass on the 24th..... and that it is not the other way around.

ExerGise Armwrestling Champs 4 October 2009

2009-10-04T20:38:00.002+02:00

Today saw for some top class armwrestling. Esmarelda Nel was back on the table after an absence of nearly more than a year. She kick ass as usual but it was great.

I ended up second Left & Right as well as in the Open class. Had some great fights and now my right arm is aching. Competitions two weeks in a row is never a good idea but it is soooo hard to say no :)

Now I can concentrate on my training again for the 24th October when I have a challenge match against Yorinda Nel - Left & Right Best Out of Three. I can't wait.

I am going to have to look at building my bicep strength a lot more to have a more controlling position on the table, it has come to the point where my hand and forearm strength is not enough any more.....even my ability to out think my oponent does not help when they are twice as strong as me.... time to start lifting heavier weights ;)

Challenge match 24 October 2009

2009-09-29T10:17:00.002+02:00

Just got the great news that there will be a best out of three challenge match between myself and Yorinda Nel.

So now I need to really concentrate on healing up and training hard for the 24th October 2009.

It will prove to be a mean match considering Yorinda is really strong in the toproll. I have been working on my hook but I will have to work even hard for the next three weeks to perfect my move and lines.

Cannot say that I feel nervous but at the same time I am very excited when I think about it. There is nothing more sweet than having a really tough armwrestling match - win or lose - although I do prefer winning :)

Rosemary Stroebel's You Tube Channel

2009-09-28T19:01:00.002+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/RosemaryStroebel

Beautiful Pain

2009-09-28T18:54:00.002+02:00

This is a sport that I love. It can be painful, like a toothache right through the entire arm, but it is a beautiful pain.

On Saturday 26 September 2009 I pulled against Yorinda Nel and we ended up in a strap match every single time. I lost half the skin on my right hand and am bruised right around my wrist. I LOVE IT!

I have to rest for Sunday 4 October when there is another competition and I may just get Yorinda on the table yet again. Let's hope.....I want revenge! Or at least the opportunity to try.

Well, let me nurse my right arm and hope for the best.