Adriane Wilson finished first in four of the seven women’s heavy athletic events during the 2024 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, thereby claiming the top spot overall for the competition. This is a repeat win for Wilson, who took first place at these games in 2023 and was the runner-up in 2022.
The 44-year-old personal trainer who resides in Columbia, S.C., has been competing in heavy athletics for over 15 years. Wilson has also coached adaptive sport for wounded soldiers.
This year saw 13 women competing in front of an exceptionally large crowd this past Saturday.
Wilson was previously a professional shot putter. She trained for the 2004 Olympics but finished fifth in the tryouts, falling just short of qualifying. Wilson keeps up with weight training and throwing throughout the week and is at the gym every day for her job.
The spectators at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games are a big part of what makes this particular competition so special to Wilson.
“I just love the crowd here,” Wilson said. “We have such an incredible crowd that cheers us on, and they come out every year and just overwhelm us with so much positive energy. It’s super fun.”
Wilson competes in 12 to 15 different games a year, which keeps her on the road.
“I do travel quite a bit from coast to coast, and sometimes I go international,” she said.
Wilson won the clachneart (stone) throw, the 28-pound-weight throw for distance, the 14-pound-weight throw for distance and the caber (large pole) toss events.
Madison Weinreich was this year’s runner-up, winning the 28-pound-weight toss for height and coming in second in both the 14-pound-weight throw for distance and the caber toss events. Mandi Hart secured the third-place finish overall.
Wilson is enthusiastic about the future of the sport, noting the fierce competitors the women’s event continues to showcase.
“We’ve had some really stellar athletes come through, and it’s been exciting to see just the level of athleticism that they bring,” she said.
The women’s elite competition is by invitation only and featured 13 competitors vying to best each other in seven different categories: the sheaf toss (during which competitors use a pitchfork to hurl a burlap bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar), 28-pound-weight toss for height, stone throw, 28-pound-weight throw for distance, 14-pound-weight throw for distance, hammer (spherical weight fastened to a wooden handle) throw and caber toss.
PHOTO ABOVE: GMHG Women’s Heavy Athletics Top Three Finishers: Adriane Wilson was named the overall winner in women’s heavy athletics at this year’s Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. Madison Weinreich (pictured on the left) was this year’s runner-up, winning the 28-pound-weight toss for height and coming in second in both the 14-pound-weight throw for distance and the caber toss events. Mandi Hart (right) secured the third-place finish overall.
The 2024 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games took place July 11-14 at Grandfather Mountain’s MacRae Meadows in Linville, N.C. To learn more about the Highland Games, visit www.gmhg.org.