James McGregor of Aberdeen was the sole North American entry at the World Grand Prix U105 strongman tournament held this July in Litovel, Czech Republic.
An unfortunate disc injury suffered early in the competition thwarted James’ expectation of a high ranked finishing but he chose to persevere nevertheless.
“I did each event as my body would allow but in the end it was not in the cards for me this year,” he says.
James has been an elite level strongman for many years however his sports journey started when he was quite young, achieving a black belt from two tae kwon do federations by the time he was 15. Each federation represents a distinct form of martial arts.
“The fundamentals are similar but a person has to start at the beginning and learn the new material to progress., he said.
Through a friend he was later introduced to weightlifting before turning his attention to powerlifting. Then in 2014 while training at the Ironworks Gym in Saskatoon he was approached by a fellow athlete to participate in a strongman competition.
“At the time I was fairly shy and wasn’t one hundred percent sold on the idea”, admitted James. “But he signed us both up for a show and I was hooked.”
Strongman is one of several weightlifting sports. Individuals not only compete to see who can lift the heaviest weight possible, but also perform a number of herculean tasks designed to test overall power and endurance as well.
Such events include Atlas Stone, Sandbag Toss and Truck Pull, Deadlift and, James’ favorite, the Yoke Run. This requires athletes to be timed carrying a heavily loaded frame supported on the back of the shoulders for a set distance, usually 20 meters. In 2017 James placed second in this event at the World Strongman Games in North Carolina, missing out on first by mere milliseconds.
The last number of years has seen a significant growth in the popularity of strongman shows and the number of weight categories available to men and women. Although competition is ardent James enjoys the comradery of fellow athletes as well as the support of spectators.
“I absolutely love the energy the crowd brings to a show because everyone is always cheering and hoping to see you succeed,” he said.
Qualifying shows start at the regional level and progress toward national competitions. From there successful entrants can compete at international events. Throughout his weightlifting career James has participated at over 60 shows in Canada and throughout the world, including several Ultimate Strongman competitions.
Maintaining this level of fitness requires sustained discipline and dedication. James strength-trains every other day year round for several hours at a stretch. His “off-days” focus on cardio development and body recovery practices such as message therapy, acupuncture and chiro to keep his body functioning at optimum level.
Diet is also a crucial component for athletic success. Lots of protein, vegetables and plenty of water is essential but for James it’s a bit more complicated.
“I am a type 1 diabetic so blood sugar management and how it relates to diet and exercise are a little more tricky for me,” he said.
James is also a Red Seal journeyman machinist by trade and works full time as an account manager. His hobbies include restoring his 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass as well as a 1971 Super Beetle that he and his partner Denise have been restoring together.
In his immediate future James is preparing for yet another tournament The King Kong International Grip Competition is held at different venues all over the world on the same day. Entrants are ranked on the basis of grip strength to body weight. At this year’s event James will be competing in Lumsden on October 28.