Meet the Canadian Family of World Champion Arm Wrestlers

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This family consists of some of the world’s greatest arm wrestlers. Their matriarch Joyce King is a 13-time world champion. The King family devotes a lot of time to the traditional bar sport. Three generations of King women have taken up the sport, which includes Joyce’s daughter Jessica King and her granddaughter Josie King.

Arm wrestling is a big part of the family. Joyce says, “Once you’re an arm wrestler, you are always an arm wrestler.” She came out of a five-year retirement in 2014. She says,  “I love watching my children and grandchildren compete, even when they lose, because they are happy just being up there competing.”

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Before, arm wrestling was known as a bar sport, but now there are tournaments in Las Vegas hotels. It’s growing in popularity as a sport. Joyce, who is from Canada, has returned to the sport after recovering from a broken arm last year.

She had broken it during a match. She explains, “I was in the middle of the of the match and I managed to bring the lady back up. I brought my wrist back up and then snap. It just snapped off. I didn’t feel anything, no pain, until 15 minutes into the ambulance ride.” She has since made a full recovery.

Her daughter Jessica is also a two-time world champion. She says she will not just give up willingly, so if Jessica wants to beat her, she has to work at it.

Her granddaughter Josie Montana King has won two gold medals in Canada’s Arm Wrestling Championships.

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Jessica is a construction worker who stands 6 feet tall and weights 200 pounds. She stared arm wrestling when she was 11 years old. Jessica says that she can probably beat Josie but not her mother at the moment.

Full-time student Josie has taken a break from competing so she can concentrate on her college courses, but she plans to return to the sport soon. Josie feels that the sport is empowering for women and it lets everyone know that women can do something that is considered a power sport too.

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The rest of the King family are also into arm wrestling. Cody King, Joyce’s son, and her grandchildren Hailey, Jayson, Jacob, and Jenika all enjoy the sport.

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