Basingstoke: Natalie Welch clinches spot in strongest Master

Natalie Welch, an inspiring solo parent, business owner, TEDx speaker and vice-chair of Hampshire FA, secured the place by achieving victory at the BNSF England's Strongest Master competition held at Dominus CrossFit in York on March 16.

Her exceptional performance saw her clinch victory in three out of the five events, firmly securing her place in Britain's Strongest Master competition scheduled for June, which will be hosted at The Unit Cumnock.

But this isn't Natalie's first taste of victory. She previously claimed the title of Basingstoke's Strongest Novice in 2019 and was Bournemouth's Strongest Inters Woman in May 2023.

READ MORE: Strong Competition on display at Basingstoke's Strongest Novice

Natalie Welch (Image: Contributed)

Reflecting on her recent triumph, She said: "I went in with no expectation this would be the outcome. I do this sport as a hobby. I love the whole ethos and community, which made winning a special moment, and I am glad it happened, surrounded by an incredible crew of other athletes and friends.

"I am looking forward to going to Scotland with the four other athletes from my gym who also qualified for the British finals."

Natalie Welch with other winners from Elite-Bodyworks (Image: Contributed)

Despite juggling her responsibilities as a business owner and parent, Natalie commits to training four times a week.

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She trains at Elite-Bodyworks in Basingstoke under the guidance of her coach James Smith, co-owner of the gym. 

"Having worked with Nat for a number of years in the Strong(wo)man scene, I can attest to the hard work and grit she puts into her training," said Mr Smith.

"To leap from sixth to first place in an open-weight category is outstanding and a truly deserved victory. Huge congratulations from all of us at Elite-Bodyworks; we're looking forward to what she pulls out of the bag in June."