One of Alberta’s top arm wrestlers is a 9-year-old who can deadlift 150 pounds and flips tires for fun | CBC News

It only took two seconds for a 60-pound nine-year-old to win an arm wrestling challenge against a CBC radio host who’s about three times older and a fair bit taller.

Tristan Arseneault is easily the strongest kid in his hometown of Drayton Valley, Alta., about 150 kilometres southwest of Edmonton. 

He’s been a Greco-Roman wrestler since he was three and can deadlift 150 pounds. About a year ago, Tristan took up arm wrestling after beating a youth national silver medallist and got hooked — so to speak — on the strategy.

“I like how it’s a competitive sport. It’s very technical,” Tristan told CBC Radio Active host Jessica Ng last Monday, before besting her with a high hook during an in-studio match. 

Tristan said the high hook is his personal favourite because it limits the amount of power his competitor can use. But there are other techniques in the sport, including top rolls, presses and the Canadian or European hook. 

At a competition in Lethbridge last month, Tristan won a gold medal in a youth division at the Alberta Arm Wrestling Championships. The win in the provincial competition made him eligible to compete in the national championships, which take place in Nova Scotia at the beginning of July. 

The family hopes to go and is fundraising to afford the travel costs.

“I’m very excited,” Tristan said, “but I’m mostly scared for the plane ride.” 

To help get ready for competitions, Tristan trains in a Drayton Valley gym or heads outside to flip truck tires.

“He just excels at everything he tries,” said his dad Nick Arseneault.

“It’s like a having a little buddy to go do these things with.” 

Getting stronger in Alberta 

As a sport, arm wrestling is growing in popularity in Canada, according to Tristan’s coach Frazier Benoit. 

“When I first started arm wrestling, there was no such things like a youth or amateur division. I was thrown to the wolves,” said Benoit, who is based in Blackfalds, Alta., about 15 kilometres north of Red Deer.

No longer just a barroom activity, competitors are getting serious with trainers and special equipment, Benoit said. 

“It’s not like you can just train with an arm and a table,” he said. 

“That was 25 years ago. Everything has changed now.” 

As interest in the sport grows, more people are reaching out to Benoit, who offers one-on-one coaching at his Blackfalds studio and has started doing youth clinics. 

“It’s an individual sport. A lot of people don’t like teams,” said Benoit. 

Sometimes Tristan accompanies Benoit at the youth sessions to demonstrate techniques and help teach. 

Benoit represented Canada at the World Armwrestling Championship in 2003 and 2008. He said that if Tristan does well at the national championship, he could qualify for the worlds, which will be held in Kazakhstan at the end of August.

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