Area resident brings home gold at the IFA World Arm-wrestling Championship

Many people might not know it, but an entire competitive world is based around arm wrestling. What might be popular in living rooms as a party game that brings the competitive side out of almost anyone is actually a worldwide phenomenon with its own World Championships. This year, the IFA World Arm-wrestling Championships took place in Dieppe, France, and an area family was at the heart of the action.

Mason Droesse, 18, recently graduated from Mayerthorpe High School. At an early age, he was introduced to arm wrestling through his father and his father’s military buddy, Devon Larratt, who was a world champion in the sport. “Both of them would train in the army together and arm wrestle for fun. One day we were taking a trip to Las Vegas and there just so happened to be a tournament that he was going to be at at the time we were going to be there. We stopped by and watched the tournament, which really inspired my dad to get into it seriously,” explained Droesse.

Seeing his father get into the sport and take a high interest in it inspired young Mason to get into it too. “I was about eleven when I started, so that’s about eight years now for my training. I was very small when I was younger, and I would lose almost every match for five or six years straight. Over the last two years or so, I have grown a lot more as a competitor through getting older and stronger.” Though his father doesn’t compete much anymore, he’s still involved heavily as Mason’s trainer and “second brain.”

The sport has taken Droesse across Canada and the United States as a competitor and a spectator. He explained that he does lots of high repetitions with low weights to get the blood flowing to the muscles and tendons used in the sport. In early July, he took a trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to test the waters at the national level. “I got first place for both left arm and right arm in the Under 21 category and first place in left and right in the Seniors category, which qualified me to go to Worlds for both categories.”

Sitting on top of the leaderboard was a big goal reached for Droesse. His next stop? Dieppe, France. “At Worlds, you get to compete against the best from all over the world. “I got first place in my Under 21 78 Kg Class on both my left and right arms. In the Youth Class, there were seven competitors for each arm. I’ll also be competing in the Seniors Class, which is anyone over 21 in the 78kg Class. In the Seniors Class, there will be about twenty-two competitors per arm. These guys are really high up, so it will be a challenge.”

On top of his two gold medals in the Youth Class, Droesse reached fifth place for his right arm in the Seniors Class, and he, along with his family and supporters, is very proud of his accomplishments. Coming home with two golds around his neck and lots of stories to tell, Droesse will be an attention draw no matter where he goes.

Team Canada as a whole also did very well in Dieppe. “The Masters and Grand Masters and the Youth Classes, out of all twenty-seven countries, we got third overall. I believe Poland got second, and Sweden got first. Those countries had many more competitors. Our team was smaller.” For Canada’s smaller team to rank high on the list is a massive accomplishment.

“My main goal was to learn and get stronger. Of course, I also wanted to win, but I wanted to gain experience from any of the matches I partook in. Say you lose a match. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It allows you to think about your next move and visualize what you did wrong. That helps you grow as a competitor.” Wise words from a well-spoken young man.

As a person with type 1 diabetes, Mason has faced challenges in his young life and has overcome them. “Just this March, I discovered I was diabetic, and I struggled pretty hard at the beginning of the year. But it’s all under control and almost perfect now,” he explained. Having good people around him, like his family and trainer Frazier Benoit who was a big part of his recent strength, Droesse has found his way through the darkness of Type 1 diabetes to the top of the podium.

Returning home, Droesse said he would fondly look back on his time in France. “The architecture and the scenery are beyond anything I could’ve imagined. My favourite thing about the competition was seeing all the different teams and hearing about their experiences. Everybody here has their own team shirt, unique to their country, and it’s interesting to see those. If you ever have the chance to go to France, definitely go. We were here for two weeks, and I had never been to Europe before, so this is a mark on the checklist for me.”

One neat aspect of competitive arm wrestling is that anyone can challenge a belt holder anytime. “You win awards and belts as you compete, and sometimes you can steal them from other people by beating them in a Super Match, which is a best out of five. I hold the left arm belt for my 76kg class, and if someone were to challenge me for that belt, we would have a Super Match, and if they beat me, they get the belt. So, it can carry on that way with whoever wins. It’s a really fun part of it.”

There are local clubs in Drayton Valley and Edmonton, and Droesse encourages anyone interested in learning more to join Facebook groups. “It’s a great community. They are welcoming and so nice. If you lose a match, there’s no hatred towards anybody. It’s a humbling sport. Everyone talks and gives advice and helps you get better. It’s very friendly and a great sport to get into.” Congratulations, Mason!