Strength in Every Form
There are people who lift weights, and there are people who lift communities. North Central High School’s own Ashlee Munsey does both.
A former multi-sport athlete, professional Strongwoman competitor, teacher, coach, mother of two, and lifelong student of movement, Ashlee’s journey is one built on discipline, resilience, and a deep belief that strength is something every young woman deserves to see in themselves. Her story spans sports, motherhood, world stage competitions, injuries, rebuilding, and the desire to pass on the lessons that shaped her into the powerhouse she is today.
Ashlee’s love for strength started early. As a freshman at North Central High School, she stepped into the weight room not knowing just how much it would shape her life. A three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, and track, lifting quickly became the foundation behind every success. After high school, she continued as a two-sport athlete in college, competing in basketball and track at Spokane Falls Community College before finishing both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Eastern Oregon University. That’s also where she met her husband Andy, a fellow thrower and longtime powerlifter and Strongman competitor.
Their 5 a.m. training sessions before full days of grad school and teaching became the spark that eventually led her into the world of Strongwoman. After completing a full marathon in 2014 and learning what mental toughness truly meant, Ashlee watched Andy compete at Strongman Nationals. Seeing the women compete made something click. “I like to lift, I am strong, and I think I could beat these women.” That moment changed everything. By 2015, she was competing.
Her rise through the ranks came quickly. She competed at Nationals her first year, dropped a weight class to be more competitive, and kept showing up. In 2016 she finished second at Nationals. In 2017 she placed fifth at the Arnold Amateur Strongwoman World Championships and earned top-ten finishes at World’s Strongest Lightweight Woman. In 2018 she tied for first place at Strongman Nationals in St. Louis, won the tiebreaker by holding 375 pounds on a frame as long as she could, earned her pro card, and cemented herself as one of the strongest lightweight women in the country.
In 2019 she placed second at the Arnold again, then discovered she was pregnant with her son, Aden. She later welcomed her daughter, Addy, in 2023. Along the way she dealt with a hip labrum surgery, back issues, and the inevitable adjustments that come with motherhood, but she found a new lane: Armlifting. Over the last four years she has earned multiple Arnold and Mr. Olympia titles, including winning her weight class at the 2024 Mr. Olympia Armlifting World Championships with her family cheering her on. She calls it one of her sweetest moments.
Ashlee’s mindset has evolved throughout her career. She entered the sport wanting to beat people. Over time she learned that competing from a place of comparison wasn’t healthy or sustainable. In 2018 she shifted her focus to what she could control and giving her best effort. That shift changed everything. Motherhood refined it even more. Strength looks different now, but it is no less meaningful. “My strength levels may not be exactly what they used to be, but I continue to pursue the best version of myself, athletically and personally.”
She explains Strongwoman in simple terms. Competitions include overhead presses with logs, axles, or giant dumbbells; deadlifts of all styles; carry events; loading events with stones or sandbags; and sometimes odd-object challenges. Armlifting focuses entirely on maximal grip strength through thick bars, rolling handles, and single-arm lifts. Each discipline requires something different and offers something unique.
Representing Spokane means a lot to her. Her NC community, family, and friends have supported her every step of the way. Training and competing with Andy remains one of her favorite things about the sport. “I wouldn’t be the person or athlete I am today without him.”
Her training leading into a competition is straightforward: practice the events, progress slowly toward competition weight, train for both strength and speed, and journal before meet day to quiet her nerves and focus her mind.
Despite being in a male-dominated sport, Ashlee says her experience has been overwhelmingly positive. She’s seen women’s athletics grow tremendously, and she hopes that trend continues. She’s trained young women who are lifting at levels she competed with on world stages. The next generation is rising fast.
For her students, she hopes to model confidence, consistency, and self-belief. “Be proud of what your body can do. Make fitness a priority. Your health determines the quality of life you get to live.” Her advice for women who feel intimidated entering the weight room is simple: “Just do it. It’s okay to be a beginner. People want to see you succeed.”
Fitness also plays a huge role in her mental health. She and Andy wake up at 4 a.m. every morning to train before school. It centers her and sets the tone for the day. Yoga has become another essential piece of her wellbeing; she is now a certified instructor and teaches both in the community and to her students. “Finding time to be still, breathe, and connect to my body keeps me grounded.”
Returning to North Central as a teacher has been a full-circle moment. She now teaches Advanced Conditioning, the class that sparked her love for lifting, along with three Women’s Weights classes. This year she transitioned into full-time Physical Education and calls it her dream schedule. More girls are signing up for her classes than ever before, something she is excited to see grow.
Looking ahead, she and Andy plan to compete at United States Strongman Nationals in June, their first Nationals since 2018. Approaching age 40, they are also eager to compete together in the Masters division. Locally, they host the Empire Classic Strongman Competition every April at the Spokane Fairgrounds and hope to eventually see women make up at least half of the competitors.
Ashlee Munsey’s story is one of consistency, resilience, and the belief that strength is something everyone can access. Whether she is competing on a world stage, teaching a room full of teenage girls to deadlift, raising two young children, or waking up before sunrise to prioritize her own wellbeing, she shows that strength is not just physical it is a way of life. And for the young women of North Central, she is exactly the kind of role model Spokane needs.
