Two former athletes from Eureka, Didi Mouer and Travis Vaughn, have quietly but steadily made their presence known in the competitive strength sports scene. Through dedication, hard work, and a commitment to improving, they’ve earned recognition in various competitions across the region, gaining respect for their perseverance and strength.
Mouer’s success in 2024 has been particularly impressive. She started the year by winning the Open Middleweight Women’s title at the Kansas Strongest Man competition in April. She followed that with another victory at the Stateline Strongest competition and continued her winning streak with a first-place finish at the Roger Tully Memorial Strength Challenge in December. Mouer capped off the year by taking the Open Middleweight Women’s title at the 2nd Annual First City Cold Snap. With each win, she has proven herself to be a consistent and formidable competitor in strongwoman events.
On the men’s side, Vaughn’s journey has been one of resilience and steady improvement. In his first competition at the Stateline Strongest, Vaughn placed fourth in the Heavyweight Men’s Division, just missing the podium by a few points. Instead of getting discouraged, he used this as motivation to push himself even harder. His next competition, the Kansas City Strongest, saw him come back strong, earning second place in the Heavyweight Men’s Division. Vaughn didn’t stop there. He then shifted his focus to powerlifting and competed in a meet in Salina, where he earned first place in the Heavyweight Division, showcasing his well-rounded strength. But his ultimate goal was to achieve first place in a Strongman event. After months of training, Vaughn competed in the 2nd Annual First City Cold Snap in Leavenworth and reached his goal by securing first place in the Heavyweight Men’s Division.
Vaughn and Mouer have demonstrated that with dedication, hard work, and a passion for their craft, they can achieve great things. Their achievements in strength sports have earned them a position in the spotlight and serve as an inspiration to their community in Eureka and beyond. Both Vaughn and Mouer train under the guidance of Mai Mijares at Top Crop Barbell in Wichita.
Mouer is the daughter of Dave and Christine Mouer of Eureka. She is a 2015 graduate of Eureka Junior/ Senior High School.
Vaughn is the son of Sunni and Francis Chaplin.
(Photo and information submitted by Sunni Chaplin)
