Mitchell Hooper sprints toward a 300-pound boulder on a stage in front of a railroad museum in Sacramento. Cameras zoom in as he straddles the colossal round rock. He wedges his hands under the base, then plucks the concrete orb into his lap like it’s no heavier than a child’s toy. Bear-hugging it to his chest, the six-foot-three, 320-pound giant with a bald head and a 100-yard stare, stands upright then pivots and duckwalks toward a row of cylindrical wooden platforms. It looks so smooth, so effortless, like he’s preparing to put a gallon of milk away in the fridge. But then, with the stone just inches away from the edge of the platform, it slips from his grasp and hits the black rubber mat with a sickening thud.
The fans at the annual World’s Strongest Man competition, watching from the bleachers in the hot mid-May sun, let out a collective gasp. This is a man who has set world records and placed in the top three at 23 back-to-back global competitions, including this one, which he won in 2023. His performance in the event will determine if he stands a chance at reclaiming his crown.
If his slippery fingers rattle him, he doesn’t let on. He swiftly picks up the fallen stone and loads it onto the platform, then moves on to the second, heavier stone. Then the next, then the next. Pull, squat, hip thrust, repeat. Nevermind the cumulative exhaustion of four consecutive days of lifting, throwing, pressing, and hurling thousands of pounds in the unrelenting heat. He’ll keep moving until the sound of the whistle signals a reprieve. But will it end in victory or defeat? In less than 60 seconds, he’ll know the answer.
Read about Mitchell Hooper’s quest to become the greatest strongman of all time.
