Young power lifter bags Strongman medal despite torn meniscus

When Matthew Germanus competed in the Novice Open Class category of Africa’s Strongest Man, there were muscles everywhere.

The competition took place in Rustenburg at Molokwane Lodge from Friday, November 25 to Sunday, November 27.

Though Matthew placed fourth, also bagging a medal, it came at a high price.

On the first day of the competition, the 17-year-old power lifter partially tore his meniscus (among the most common knee injuries for athletes).

“I was doing a max log press and was attempting to lift 140kg over my head. Unfortunately, I failed the first time but still had time to try again. On the second attempt, I felt a major pop in my knee which was the meniscus partially tearing,” he said.

Despite the injury he soldiered on, competing with people almost twice his age.

“With Strongman there is no age categories so even if you are 17 you compete with 25 and 30 year olds which may be one of the biggest challenges,” he admitted. Weighing 150kg and competing with other power lifters who are 1.9m to 2.0m tall, Matthew comes as a close competitor with a height of 1.8m tall.

Closely inspired by his father Victor Germanus, “Strength has always been a big thing for me and in my family. My dad was always the strongest in the room growing up so being as competitive as I am I wanted to be stronger than him, which I’m still not,” Matthew said.

He further explains that this inspired him to enter Strongman and ultimately this is where he met his role model Kelin Mills who is the current Africa’s Strongest Man’.

“We became great friends and were nicknamed Mills and mini Mills, so that inspired me, seeing as though people see me as the younger version of my role model,” he said.

“One quote my role model sent me that inspired me was, ‘It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat’,” the young power lifter recalls.

Placing fourth is just the beginning for this young man as there are more competitions he looks forward to dominating.