The first reaction Ryan Espey of Portage la Prairie, Man., had after winning his third world championship was relief.
“Relief that I can still hang with these guys and still do it,” Espey said. “It’s almost as special as winning the first time because it’s been so long.”
Fifteen years after his last world title in 2003, Espey picked up a gold medal in the masters division with his left arm and a bronze medal with his right arm at the 2018 World Armwrestling Championship, which took place in Turkey.
He adds those titles to his multiple provincial and national championships as well as other prominent awards, making the 21-year veteran of the sport among the best arm-wrestlers in the world.
Espey says the key to his success is quickness.
“The most important thing is to be fast, and when the ref says go, I’m right on the money and accelerating quicker than the guy in front of me,” he explained.
Working with younger members of the arm-wrestling community is something Espey is passionate about as well.
“It’s a huge privilege to be able to train and to have that advantage,” Spencer Cleaver, one of Espey’s training partners said. “He’s taught me and a lot of guys a lot of stuff, and we really get a lot out of that.”
“Watching the guys I train with and my training partner do well, it lights a fire under me and gives me hunger to go back and do well at worlds,” Espey said.
“For me, it’s almost as important as what I do for myself.”
Outside of the arm-wrestling scene, Espey has been a Portage la Prairie city councillor since 2010 and was recently re-elected for another term.
“Most people wouldn’t associate someone in arm-wrestling with city council, but at Nationals and Worlds, you get people from all walks of life. Once they get the bug, they fall in love with it,” Espey said.
Having won almost all there is to win in the arm-wrestling world, Espey is still itching for a certain title.
“The Arnold Schwarzenegger Fitness Expo (in Columbus, Ohio) has an arm-wrestling tournament. I’ve placed as high as second, and I really want to win that one,” Espey said.
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