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Four big rigs and a whole crew rolled into Sydney @meatstock from around the country loaded to the absolute brim with equipment for @australias.strongest Man & Woman 2026.

12 months of planning. Endless phone calls, DMs and emails. Rules written. Weights tested. Shirts pressed. Media organised. Problems solved daily. Then somehow… we all landed at Sydney Olympic Park and pulled the whole thing off with only minor emotional damage. 😂

I’ll say this loud every single time — Australia’s Strongest is not just me. It’s all of us. The crew, loaders, refs, media team, commentators, sponsors, promoters, athletes, spectators and every single person behind the scenes doing the jobs nobody sees. Every role matters.

The weeks leading up to comp are organised chaos. Very little sleep, highly caffeinated, phones ringing nonstop, messages pinging nonstop and a to-do list that reproduces overnight. But the reason the weekend ran the way it did comes down to planning and having the right people around us — solving problems before they even become problems.

And honestly? I bloody love it. The pressure, the chaos, the “this seemed like a fantastic idea 12 months ago” moments. The goal will always be to keep levelling up and building something bigger and better for the athletes, crew and spectators every single year.

Now the adrenaline’s worn off a little and the emotional support Red Bulls have stopped working, I’m just really darn proud of what WE are building together.

So thank you.
To every single person who played a part in this weekend — you are Australia’s Strongest too.
🇦🇺✌🏻

📸 @johnrey_macatuggal_