Luke lifts British Strongman title

A Welshpool man has become the first non-Englishman to win Britain’s Strongest Man at u120kg after overcoming a serious injury to claim the biggest honour of his career to date.

Luke Weaver, who only started the sport in 2021, qualified for the weekend’s competition in Sheffield after becoming Wales’ Strongest Man at u120kg last year, and now has his sights fixed on taking on the world’s best in Florida this November at the Official Strongman Games.

But it could have been a whole lot different this summer for the 38-year-old who tore his abductor muscle just two months prior to competing, and was advised to undergo surgery with a lengthy period of rehabilitation.

“I thought I was going to be having surgery with rehab for most of the year but decided not to and took a gamble which has paid off!” said Luke, who has lived in Nantwich for the past three years and has previously finished third in Europe two years back.

The freight train driver’s journey to the top has been achieved through sheer hard work and the weekend competition in Sheffield saw him push himself to his limits and beyond.

“It was a really stacked field of good athletes as they all came through their national qualifiers in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland,” said Luke.

“It featured all the best in the u120kg weight. We each had to do six events testing all different types of strength and conditioning.

“My goal was to try and place in the top three for each one to give myself a chance which I managed to do, winning the squat in event one to get me off to great start.”

Strongman events are growing ever more popular and Luke’s success has come in the weight below the Open section where the likes of Eddie Hall and Tom Stoltman have made their names.

He does compete in that Open category too, and has qualified for the Ultimate Strongman Wales final in Cardiff of August 30, where a top four finish would see him qualify for the Channel 5-broadcasted UK’s Strongest Man next year.

Luke’s success has come with the support of sponsors Kingdom Strength (kit) and his local gym G-Zed Gym, who he says have both been brilliant. He is also grateful to local businessman Shane Clee of Forden Concrete Products Ltd who have created specialist training equipment.

But his biggest backer has been his partner Donna Moore who is the current English champion at 82kg and a three-time World’s Strongest Woman winner.

“She’s helped me reach another level as we bounce off each other and support each other all the time,” he said.

Take a look at the events Luke had to go through this past weekend on his way to British 120kg glory:

Event 1: 260KG Axle Squat - 13reps joint (he came first)

Event 2: DOH Axle deadlift rising bar - 175kg (second)

Event 3: Conan’s Wheel (third)

Event 4: Dumbbell Medley - double 50kg’s, 53kg, 64kg, 71kg, 86kg rep out - 9 reps total (third)

Event 5: Bag Toss Run 8 bags 20, 20, 22, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30kg - 7/8bags completed (third)

Event 6: Sandbag Medley 120kg, 140kg, 140kg (second)

Luke’s big achievements to date:

Britain’s Strongest Man Champion 2026 (u120kg)

Welsh Strongest Man Champion -120kg (won in 2025)

3rd in the Ultimate Strongman European Championships u120kg (in Germany 2024)

Fourth in Ultimate Strongman World Championships (also hosted in Germany 2025)