ORT IN
MAINE.
SEAN: KAREN MEYERS CATCHES UP
WITH A NEW HAMPSHIRE COUPLE IN
TRAINING NOW.
>> THANK YOU.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
KAREN: WHEN TYLER COTNOIR AND
MAGGIE POMEROY MET AT A ROCK
CONCERT, TYLER SWEPT MAGGIE OFF
HER FEET.
>> THE MOMENT TYLER AND I MET,
IT'S BEEN PURE LOVE.
KAREN: THAT WAS SEVEN MONTHS
AGO.
NOW TYLER'S ABOUT TO DO IT
AGAIN, LITERALLY.
>> READY?
>> ALL RIGHT.
HERE WE GO.
>> READY TO GET DOWN.
1, 2, 3.
NICE AND TIGHT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
KAREN: THE COUPLE, WHO LIVE
TOGETHER IN CLAREMONT, ARE
TRAINING FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN
WIFE CARRYING CHAMPIONSHIP, HELD
EVERY OCTOBER AT SUNDAY RIVER IN
MAINE.
>> 3, 2, 1, GO.
>> AND THEY'RE OFF.
IT IS THE NORTH AMERICAN WIFE
CARRYING CHAMPIONSHIP.
KAREN: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE
MARRIED -- TYLER AND MAGGIE
AREN'T -- BUT TEAMS MUST BE ONE
MAN AND ONE WOMEN.
THE COURSE, FULL OF OBSTACLES,
IS 278 YARDS, ABOUT THE LENGTH
OF THREE FOOTBALL FIELDS.
COUPLES NAVIGATE HURDLES, SAND
TRAPS, AND WATER HAZARDS.
THE COUPLE WITH THE FASTEST TIME
WINS.
TYLER AND MAGGIE WILL HAVE TO
CROSS THE FINISH LINE IN UNDER A
MINUTE IF THEY STAND A CHANCE.
IT'S THEIR FIRST RUN AT THE WIFE
CARRYING CONTEST, THOUGH BOTH
HAVE COMPETED SEPARATELY IN
SPARTAN RACES.
>> FOR ME, THE HARDEST PART IS
RUNNIN
I LOVE THE OBSTACLES AND I
USUALLY BLAST THOUGH THEM, BUT
THE RUNNING PART IS WHERE I'M
LIKE [BREATHING HEAVILY], YOU
KNOW.
IT'S LIKE, WHY AM I DOING THIS
TO MYSELF?
KAREN: TRAINING NOW WELL
UNDERWAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
WORKING OUT AT A NEARBY PARK
AMID THE ROAMING DEER,
STRETCHING, JOGGING, AND
SPRINTING.
>> I ALWAYS TRY TO TRUCK ALONG
AND KEEP UP WITH HER.
SHE'S A LITTLE BETTER AT THE
DISTANCE, SO -- FOR ME, I'M
BETTER AT THE SPRINT.
I WILL BEAT HER IN A SPRINT UP
THE HILL, BUT AFTER THAT I'M
TOAST.
KAREN: THEY'RE MORE WORRIED
ABOUT THE RACE TESTING THEIR
MUSCLES THAN THEIR RELATIONSHIP.
>> IN TRAINING, I HADN'T
REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE
SO HARD FOR ME
THE FIRST DAY WE DID IT, I'M
LIKE, OW.
YOUR THIGHS ARE KILLING BEING ON
HIS SHOULDER.
AND THE HEAD RUSH I GOT FROM
HAVING MY HEAD ALL THE WAY DOWN.
IT WAS LIKE, OOH.
KAREN: YOU CAN CARRY YOUR
PARTNER ANY WAY YOU WANT.
YOU'VE GOT THE PIGGYBACK STYLE,
THE CHICKEN FIGHT, THE
OVER-THE-SHOULDER FIREMAN'S
CARRY, AND THE MOST POPULAR --
THE ESTONIAN CARRY.
>> LOOKED AT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE
DOING THE FASTEST IS LIKE TH
UPSIDE DOWN, LEGS ON THE
SHOULDERS.
HER FACE IN MY BUTT, YOU KNOW,
THAT KIND OF THING.
KAREN: NOT EXACTLY COMFORTABLE.
DO YOU FEEL THIS IS THE BEST
POSITION?
>> I DEFINITELY THINK THIS IS
THE BEST POSITION.
HER WEIGHT IS DISTRIBUTED A LOT
MORE.
KAREN: YET THE 200-POUND TYLER
DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH
WEIGHT HE'S CARRYING.
>> I HAVE NO IDEA.
[LAUGHTER]
I DON'T ASK A WOMAN'S WEIGHT.
KAREN: SMART MAN
AT FIVE FEET, 127 POUNDS, TYLER
ACTUALLY DOESN'T WANT MAGGIE ANY
LIGHTE
>> IF SHE GETS HEAVIER, THAT
MEANS IF I WIN, THAT MEANS
THERE'S MORE BEER.
KAREN: YUP, WINNERS GET THE
WOMAN'S WEIGHT IN BEER AND FIVE
TIMES HER WEIGHT IN CASH, AS
WELL AS A SPOT IN THE WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP IN FINLAND, WHERE
THE SPORT BEGA
LEGEND HAS IT, BACK IN THE 19TH
CENTURY, RONKAINEN THE ROBBER
WOULD LEAD HIS HENCHMEN ON RAI
IN VILLAGES, HAULING OFF STOLEN
WIVES ON THEIR BACKS
IN 1991, WIFE CARRYING
OFFICIALLY BECAME A SPOR
>> GO.
FASTER, FASTER.
[LAUGHTER]
KAREN: MAGGIE'S THE ENCOURAGER,
ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC AND ALWAYS
TALKING.
>> WOO HOO!
[LAUGHTER]
>> SHE'S VERY VOCAL WHEN SHE'S
UPSIDE DOWN.
MAYBE NOT IN WORDS, BUT SHE'
GOING AH, OH, EW, AH -- MAKI
ALL KINDS OF NOISE BACK THERE,
AND I'M LIKE, SHH.
KAREN: TYLER THINKS THEY'LL
EXCEL IN THE CHALLENGING MUD
PITS.
HIS ABILITY TO WALK LIKE A DUCK
--
>> I TEND TO POINT MY FEET WHEN
I WALK THROUGH THE MUD, SO YOU
DON'T GET SUCTIONED IN.
AND WHEN YOU POINT YOUR FEET,
RELEASES THE SUCTION, SO YOU
JUST SCOOT RIGHT THROUGH.
KAREN: MAGGIE WILL BE ALONG FOR
THE RIDE, KEEPING A TIGHT GRIP.
>> IT DOES NOT SCARE ME AT ALL
ABOUT TYLER DROPPING ME, BECAUSE
I HAVE ALL MY TRUST IN HIM.
KAREN: THEY'RE ALREADY TALKING
ABOUT RACING AGAIN NEXT YEAR
BY THAT TIME, TYLER MAY ACTUALLY
BE CARRYING HIS WIFE.
>> MAYBE.
I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION.
KAREN: EITHER WAY, THEY HAVE
EACH OTHER'S BACKS.
>> GOOD JOB.
TEAM WORK.
>> WOO HOO.