West Valley City 11-year-old aims to make powerlifting history

WEST VALLEY CITY — Most powerlifters spend years building strength before chasing records. But 11-year-old Siua Tongi Jr. is already turning heads with numbers that have earned him a reputation as one of the strongest young lifters in the world.

The West Valley City sixth grader was preparing for a powerlifting competition this weekend, where he will attempt to break a world record.

Despite his growing online following and attention from professional athletes, Siua remains soft-spoken and humble outside the gym. Inside, however, his strength speaks for itself.

Siua currently bench presses 225 pounds, squats 315 pounds and deadlifts 335 pounds.

"They call me the world's strongest 11-year-old," Siua said.

His lifts have put him on track to challenge records in youth powerlifting. The current USAPL record total is 683 pounds, held by a 12-year-old lifter in the United Kingdom. Siua is aiming to surpass that mark in competition.

As competition day approached, he was focused on recovery and preparation. Asked how he would feel if he breaks the record, his response was simple.

"I'll just be happy," he said.

Siua's journey has been a family effort. His 13-year-old brother, Sateki, trains alongside him and competes in his own division.

"We've seen our uncles always going to the gym, so we always ask if we can go to the gym with them, and we're doing it for football too," Sateki said.

The brothers train at Polynesian Strength with their uncle, Noa Tongi, who introduced them to powerlifting and helps oversee their development.

Tongi said one goal is helping people better understand youth powerlifting, a sport that includes age divisions for children and teenagers.

"There's been a lot of misinformation as far as what age kids should be lifting," he said.

After discovering organized youth powerlifting competitions, Tongi began introducing younger family members to the sport. He said training focuses first on proper technique, consistency and healthy habits before athletes ever attempt heavy weights.

Safety is a major priority, Tongi said. Athletes are coached on proper form for every lift, trained to meet competition standards and taught how to safely support one another in the gym.

"If it weren't for powerlifting, because they have categories for younger kids, I would have never known that kids can lift," Noa said.

Training goes beyond the weight room. Noa emphasizes proper form, recovery, nutrition and sleep while helping the boys build confidence and resilience.

"Getting them to believe in who they are and then just seeing how resilient they can be when they stick to something and push themselves," he said.

The brothers have spent much of their summer training together, forming a bond that extends beyond competition.

"I love having my brother with me," Siua said.

For Sateki, seeing his younger brother potentially make history would be special.

"That would be amazing because my brother will be the strongest in the world," he said.

For Noa and the Tongi family, the accomplishment represents more than a place in the record books.

"Just seeing that his name will be up there means a lot, especially coming from where we come from. It's our name, who we are, where we come from. Those things are really important to us," Noa said.

His family believes he has already accomplished something meaningful by inspiring those around him and lifting up his community.

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