Winnipeg city councillor a seven-time provincial arm wrestling champ

City councillor an arm wrestling champion Coun. Vivian Santos talks about how she got into arm wrestling and the many accolades she’s collected over the years.

A Winnipeg city councillor doesn’t just have a strong grip on municipal politics.

Away from city hall, Vivian Santos is a seven-time consecutive provincial champion arm wrestler.

The Point Douglas city councillor was inspired to start arm wrestling by her predecessor and former boss Mike Pagtakhan, who represented the ward for over a decade.

At the time, Santos was working as his assistant.

“He kept bugging me and eventually, he said, ‘I’ve got a bunch of girls and ladies that want to arm wrestle. There’s a group of us. Come on out to Sinclair Park,’” Santos said in an interview with CTV Morning Live Winnipeg.

Santos was immediately hooked.

She competed in her first provincial championship in 2015, winning first place with her left arm and second place with her right.

Since then, Santos has won the Manitoba provincial championships seven years in a row, plus three Canadian national championships.

Santos was an athlete growing up, thriving on the soccer field and on the mat in mixed martial arts. Still, she never imagined arm wrestling would have such a stranglehold on her.

Santos will compete next at a Dec. 7 qualifier for the King of the North competition at the Hockey For All Centre. Those who advance will get to compete at a strongman and bodybuilding competition in Ohio hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger in February 2025.

“It’s a free event. Come out and watch all the professionals from across Canada coming out for the Arnold qualifier.”

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé