Athletes competing in the strength event at the Endangered Species Athletics come bearing their fittest flippers, burliest trunks, tightest grips, and mightiest mussels (err.. I mean muscles). They show us that strength comes in all shapes and sizes, young and old, flora and fauna. This event evaluates each athlete on their particular strength and ability to persist through the most impossible conditions using pure grit. Who will walk away with the win and full suite of bragging rights for being the strongest of the strong? Let’s meet the athletes!
Massi Saga, Eastern Massasauga, Team Wetland
Hometown: New Hampton, Iowa
Length: 27 inches
Weight: 17 ounces
About Massi: Massi is a rare midwestern rattlesnake who we had to dig out of his mancave for an interview. A secluded guy, Massi currently lives in what he claims to have been an “already abandoned” crayfish burrow, thoroughly decked out with exercise equipment. Since he’s active for only half the year, his non-hibernation months are spent enacting carefully planned protein gains. He says that because of his winter hibernation, he is at a disadvantage compared to the other competitors.
“I heard a mussel was competing this year, and if this guy’s anything like Pure Mussel who took the championship back in 2016, I might as well stay underwater.”
Massi has never left small-town Iowa and is nervous to travel so far for the competition. He looks forward to returning home and sharing the story of his victory. His brother, Chad, was there at the time of the interview and mentioned that Massi is a meticulous athlete: always measuring, planning and too often – sssstressing. He hopes that Massi wins because “he has dedicated years to this event, and I would hate to see him come home disappointed.”
Strength Event History: Though Massi is a big guy, he knows that the competition will be tough, and he’ll have to bring his A-game. Unlike most land animals, as a snake, Massi has no limbs and has been using pure muscle to move through the world since the day he was born. Massi works hard, training every day and eating at least three small rodents a week, which he takes down with a powerful strike and a serving of venom. Plus--to get his greens in--he incorporates a frog, monthly.
Strength Event Stats: Massi’s body is a coil of muscle, like a spring ready to strike at speeds that measure in milliseconds. Not only is his body strong, but he also has a rattle and venom which makes him an intimidating opponent. Look out for Massi’s camouflage; in the right environment, he may be able to surprise his competitor.
Motto: "Let's get Massi!"
Phyl Tration, Dwarf Wedgemussel, Team River
Hometown: Pequest River, New Jersey
Length: 1.6 inches
Weight: 0.75 ounces
About Phyl: After her birth and going through her parasitic phase, Phyl latched onto a johnny darter’s gills and cruised up on this host fish to Pequest River. There, she made her home on the stream bottom and occupies her time trying to remain stationary, building up her mussel muscles in the process. Her large muscular foot protrudes from her shell to help her move and anchor to the riverbed. Her sedentary lifestyle of not floating far from where she landed in her youth doesn’t mean Phyl is lazy. She likes to condition her body by holding on against the current, especially during storms when the river is rough.
Though she was parasitic in her youth, she has become independent and now catches her own meals by filter feeding, munching on phytoplankton and detritus whenever she can. Phyl also has a strong stomach as she absorbs the silt and algae from the water, sending this clean water back into the stream for all to enjoy.
Strength Event History: Phyl’s strong bivalve shell protects her from drying out and deters predators, though many of her mussel friends have been eaten by ducks and raccoons. Phyl keeps herself safe by digging into the riverbed as deep as she can to hide. Phyl wants to honor those she has lost by living life to the fullest. The best way to do that is to be the strongest mussel she can be at the Endangered Species Athletics!
Strength Event Stats: The fastest current Phyl has been able to withstand without being pulled off the riverbed is four miles per hour. Her goal is to migrate to a river with a faster current up to seven miles per hour to test her strength even more.
Motto: “Success doesn’t always mean moving forward. Sometimes it means holding your ground.”
Bark Henry, Whitebark Pine, Team Forest
Hometown: Mt. Tallac, California
Length: 48 feet 5 inches
Weight: 2,357 pounds
About Bark: Bark may be pushing 140 years old, but they’re in the prime of their life. Bark’s earliest memories are of watching their mom compete in the Summer 1896 games as a long-reigning strength champion. A Clark’s nutcracker named Grey saw the stars in Bark’s eyes and encouraged Bark to become a champion, too. Bark has now been training with Grey’s descendants for nearly 130 years. When they aren’t training, Bark enjoys watching the sports of Lake Tahoe’s visitors—especially mountain biking, which Bark considers an unbelievable skill.
In 2020, their dream was put at risk when a mountain pine beetle crawled across their trunk. Thankfully, a passing black-backed woodpecker plucked the beetle off for a snack, oblivious to its heroic actions.
Strength Event History: Bark started training with Grey as a sapling. “I remember doing a lot of side bends. Grey said it would prepare me for the 100 mile per hour winds, and he was right.” Since then, each of Grey’s descendants have helped Bark’s strength grow. Now Bark’s roots push through granite with ease, and their branches withstand the weight of dozens of feet of snow. But Bark learns the most from other trees and animals, and especially from the Clark’s nutcrackers that bring Bark tidbits of information from faraway places.
Strength Event Stats: Bark’s been competing locally for years, with an impressive collection of 15 winning trophies.
“The Quaking Aspen’s are flashy, but they really can’t stay focused when it comes to the sport,” said Bark, who’s watched recent generations of the trees get more and more caught up in how their uniforms look. “Let them compete for the camera. I’ll be busy breaking records.”
Now Bark is ready to compete on the national stage. “I look forward to the cheers from my cousins in Idaho and Montana. But most importantly, I hope I can make my mother proud.”
Motto: “My bark may be soft, but my core is strong.”
Shelly Crusher, Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle, Team Coast
Hometown: Padre Island National Seashore, Texas
Length: 24 inches
Weight: 100 pounds
About Shelly: Being a Kemp's ridley sea turtle, strength is kind of Shelly’s thing. As a hatchling, she used her long flippers to crawl out of her mama’s buried nest and across the beach towards the ocean, a trek that tested her endurance right from the start. Since then, Shelly’s become an incredible long-distance swimmer, navigating vast distances between her nesting grounds and feeding areas. And, while she may not have teeth, her sharp beak and strong jaws are built for conquering tough meals, from crab shells to clams.
Speaking of strength, Shelly’s shell, called a carapace, isn't just for looks. Made of tough scutes, it's a marvel of nature, offering protection, buoyancy and a streamlined shape that helps her glide effortlessly through the water.
For Shelly, competing isn't just about winning. It's about showing the world the strength and resilience of sea turtles. Shelly wants to inspire others to help her family by protecting nesting beaches, reducing beach lighting that can confuse hatchlings and reducing the use of single-use plastics.
Strength Event History: From her epic crawl to the ocean as a hatchling to her awe-inspiring long-distance return to nest on her home beach, Shelly has put her “beach bod” to work in ways we can only imagine. Just like her mama did, Shelly returns to her home beach every few years to take part in a massive gathering of females called an "arribada." After hauling herself onto the beach, she digs an impressive chamber in the sand and lays around 100 eggs. After this incredible feat, she wastes no time returning to the ocean – all within an hour. Now that's some serious strength!
Strength Event Stats: Size is just a number for Shelly! She may be the smallest sea turtle species, but she defies expectations with her incredible strength. Propelling herself through the water column and building nests on beaches requires serious muscle. In fact, her muscles are so big that, like other sea turtles, she can’t retract her head and flippers into her shell.
Motto: “Shell yeah, I got this!”
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