Adelaide got more than she bargained for when she started dating Elliott Earnshaw from Singleton. Not even a week into their relationship Elliott asked Adelaide if she would take part in a Wife Carrying competition.
Originating in Finland, Wife Carrying is very much like it sounds… Men carrying wives (or girlfriends or friends or sisters) through an obstacle course that can include water, sand or fences. The team who does it quickest wins.
Singleton started hosting the Australian Wife Carrying Titles in 2005 at the annual Singleton Show and since then more than 150 couples have entered the competition, and more than a dozen have won and made the trip over to Finland to represent Australia.
“It’s a pretty obscure sport! I grew up in Singleton so I saw the Wife Carrying event each year and I always thought, ‘I’m going to do that one day, and win,” said Elliot.
“Adelaide and I have been dating for a year and a half now and when I asked her to do it with me and she got right on board.”
“He asked me very early on, literally a week into dating, that he wanted to do the Wife Carrying with me,” added Adelaide.
“It was at that point I knew she was a keeper!” laughed Elliott.
Elliott and Adelaide travelled to Finland in July, the competition in Sonkajarvi lining up with some travel they already had planned.
“The competition was so much fun. It’s an amalgamation of people from all over the world to do this random sport and have a good time.
“We rocked up with no expectations of what it would be like or how we would go, but everyone was incredibly welcoming,” said Elliott.
The couple entered two events, the sprint event and the team relay and won both.
“The sprint event involved carrying Adelaide about 125-metres and going over an obstacle. It worked by competing in heats and then we won the final.
“The team event consisted of Adelaide being carried by three men – me and two good mates from university who came over to support us but then got roped into it. We had to carry Adelaide in a relay style format. As you pass the baton (Adelaide), you have to skull a drink.”
You might be thinking all Adelaide has to do is hold on, but Elliott said she had just as big of a part to play in the team as the boys.
“It’s very much a team event. How Adelaide holds on and is positioned – there’s a certain technique that makes a really big difference because if you can hold on and stop your weight from shifting around it’s much easier to run and be balanced.”
Elliot said there are plenty of great memories they’ll take away from the event including winning, but one of the prizes was quite unique.
“We won two gold medals in a remote town in Finland and won 100-litres of beer because part of first prize was your wife’s weight in beer… and we had to drive home the next day!
“Big thanks to Chapman Funerals and Hello World Travel in Singleton who helped get us over here.”
Elliott and Adelaide will most likely still be overseas during this year’s Australian Championship at the Singleton Show at the end of September, so the crown of Australian Wife Carrying Champion could be up for grabs…
| The 2024 Australian Wife Carrying Titles will be held on Saturday 28th September at the Singleton Showground. There are some criteria, but no experience is needed! Details: https://www.singletonshow.com/wife-carrying |
