RDUSA201905

The

WORLD

Armwrestling

Championship

cathy merrill,

age 55, Sunapee,

New Hampshire

Speaking of diplomacy,

you’ve represented the

United States against

Russia in tournaments.

What’s that like?

Everyone just gets

along. And it’s quite a

feeling to stand on the

podium with our flag.

The last two years, I’ve

been the first one to

receive gold, so they’re

playing the national

anthem for me first. It’s

a feeling that you never

get tired of.

Your full-time job is

driving a school bus.

We might not think of

women as arm wrestlers.

How did you get started?

At a little country fair

nine years ago, my

friend Jim said, “I’ll pay

the entry fee, and if you

win, I’ll buy you an or-

der of fries.” So I entered

the contest—and I won.

The New Hampshire

governor is a fan—and

sometimes an opponent.

What’s he like to wrestle?

He’ll say, “I’ve been

practicing.” Then when

we lock up, he says, “I

don’t think I’ve done

this enough.” And I say,

“We’ll be diplomatic

and call it a draw.” I

don’t have to beat him.

He knows that I can.

What do the kids think

of your championship?

My kids on the bus love

it. My own kids shake

their heads: “I can’t be-

lieve you’re doing this,

Mom, at your age. My

God!” And I say, “What

the heck? I’ve gotta

have some fun.”

Merrill won the Grand

Masters for women—

left- and right-

handed—at the

World Armwrestling

Championship in

Turkey in 2018.

14 may 2019 | rd.com illustration by John Cuneo

Reader’s Digest

I WON!