Gareth 'Hench' Williams and Sarah Pearson took the honours at the inaugural Chester's Strongest Man and Woman competition.

CrossFit Chester in Saltney hosted the contest on Sunday with 25 competitors doing battle in the event, which consisted of two lifts for a maximum weight: the squat and the deadlift, and a timed front hold.

Williams, representing the Braventis Gym on Sealand Road, took the overall men's title despite dropping a 140kg weight on his foot in a training accident just three weeks earlier.

He posted 262kg in the squat, which sees a weight balanced across the shoulders and squatted to the floor before returning to standing, and 325kg in the deadlift, which involves picking up a weight routinely weighing the same as four-and-a-half washing machines up off the floor.

"I was a little unsure in the week leading up to the event whether I'd be able to compete as I was having difficulty pushing through that foot in training," said 30-year-old Williams, who now hopes to become Wales' Strongest Man next year.

Pearson, who only started strength training with her boyfriend Chris 'CJ' Jones about 12 months ago, took the overall women's title.

The 21-year-old University of Chester student, who was representing Total Fitness on Liverpool Road, was taking part in her second competition.

She lifted 97.5kg in the squat and 125kg in the deadlift even though she weighs just 58kg herself. Pearson has qualified for the British National Powerlifting Fed Comp later this year.

The event was the brainchild of Paul McAvoy from Myokinetics Sports Massage and Adam Parry from CrossFit Chester, who wanted to give strength athletes a contest to train for and compete in.

Competitors represented all of the area's main strength gyms including Braventis, Total Fitness, River Lane, Chester XFit and hosts Chester CrossFit.

McAvoy said "There was a lot of friendly competition among the local gyms in the lead up to the event and on the day the support from spectators, friends and family was fantastic. People have already started asking us when next year's event will be held."