WHEN it comes to strength sports, few people would automatically think of arm wrestling.

But the sport has become a new hobby for Katherine Whitaker - Wales’ first ever female arm-wrestling referee.

Arm-wrestling is a completely different world the 45-year-old's day job as a support worker for adults with learning difficulties.

Ms Whitaker explained that it took her a while to take the plunge.

She became interested after watching her partner, Abercarn's Dean Bolt - Wales’ first professional super heavyweight arm-wrestling champion.

“Dean has been competing for three years and I went to every competition and found it to be a fascinating world,” said Ms Whitaker.

“I got more into the refereeing side and had been thinking about doing it for over a year but not many people like referees. Especially now when everything is filmed, if you make a mistake, everyone knows.

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“About six months ago, I started by going to Paul Maiden’s Professional Arm-wrestling Association to learn more. It’s a long process, there is quite a lot of time studying and there are a lot of exams, observations and staring at elbows.

“It takes around five years to be able to referee at world championships but I’m looking forward to it. Eventually I want to referee around Europe and the world," added Ms Whitaker.

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(Katherine Whitaker in her referee kit)

Refereeing an arm-wrestling competition sounds like a sport of the mind as Ms Whittaker explained the length of time on the table for matches and the referee’s job.

“I did a competition last weekend in Sussex and I spent six hours on the table. It is quite intense to concentrate for that long, staring at elbows and waiting for fouls.

“Concentration is very important as you have to look for the slightest elbow movement, you have someone’s career and your own reputation in your hand, so mistakes can cost a lot.”

While it is a lesser known sport in the UK, arm wrestling is popular across many countries, including Russia.

Ms Whitaker said that at a recent competition in Merthyr, there were more than 100 competitors, all from countries across the world.

“There are a lot of female referees in Europe and there is a big call out by Welsh Warriors in Merthyr for female arm wrestlers as there currently aren’t any in Wales.

“It is an immersive world and the dedication that the competitors have is fascinating.”