Inside Eddie Hall's 10-year journey to becoming World's Strongest Man (2024)

The 29-year-old become the first Brit to win the WSM contest in 24 years in Botswana last May

On the way to becoming World's Strongest Man, you can expect blood, sweat and tears - just ask Eddie Hall.

Back in May, the former mechanic from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, became the first Brit to clinch the trophy in 24 years, nailing a 500kg deadlift that pushed his enormous body to its limits.

The victory in Botswana marked the end of a gruelling, 10-year journey for the 29-year-old.

But almost immediately after lifting the trophy, Hall announced his retirement from the world strongman stage, largely because he feared his daily regime would end up killing him.

Now, the 6ft 3ins colossus has told Sport360 about the back-breaking and brain-draining rise to the top, which left both his body and his marriage on the brink of collapse.

In Botswana, Hall flipped a 500kg tyre six times, squatted 320kg and lifted a viking press for 15 repetitions apiece, and hauled a 26-tonne aeroplane 30 metres.

An astonishing 472.5kg was pulled off the deck in the deadlift before he finished off by lifting five stones ranging from 150kg to 210kg onto a platform.

In the end, it was enough to beat Iceland's Hafthor Bjornsson - aka Game of Thrones' 'The Mountain' - and four-time WSM champ, America's Brian Shaw, to victory.

It also fulfilled a promise he made to his dying grandmother - to become WSM.

Tears of joy followed. Then came his retirement.

Speaking to Sport360 during an appearance at last month's Dubai Muscle Show, Hall said: "It's a fantastic feeling. It's one of the most alpha-male talents on the planet to be the World's Strongest Man and I've dreamt about it since I was a child.

"It's an ambition I've always had and then to actually go and hold the title is a very surreal feeling. It won't really sink in until I've watched it back on TV."

Televised in the UK over New Year, the culmination of great sacrifice has Hall on the edge of mainstream success with offers from the WWE and film industry on the table.

But a regime spearheaded by a 12,000 calorie-a-day diet has taken its toll.

Hall built his body up to a peak weight of 440lbs (31stone). The daily grind of commitment to brutal training and nutrition came with the surrender of both years off his life and precious time with his wife and two children.

That's why he's decided against defending his title.

He said: "I've won the World's Strongest Man and that was my main goal.

"If I were to go back now, it was so stressful and I put a lot of pressure on my body to win it.

"I'm only 6ft 3ins and I achieved a bodyweight of 440lbs, and to put it blank, if I stay at that weight for so long, I'm going to kill myself.

"That's why I've had to step it down a peg and lose a bit of weight. I've taken some control back in my life because it was eat, sleep, train repeat. Strongman is 365 days a year.

"I'm seeing my family for an hour a week and it was getting to the point where my marriage was breaking down.

"I needed that title to cure all those problems and to go back and potentially finish second or third would damage me.

"Why would I go back and risk that reputation? I've won it so I can walk away at the very top and live the legacy, be a legend."

At WSM 2017, Hall claimed a well deserved one-point lead over second-placed Bjornsson with Shaw a further three points behind in third.

But the competition wasn't without controversy.

Bjornsson was disallowed a rep on the viking press due to 'double dipping'.

The Icelander hit 14 clean reps but on his final one was adjudged to have double dipped.

Hall followed with 15 to take the event and 10 points to Bjornsson's nine. His rival lodged a complaint, which was promptly thrown out by the judges.

The Brit they call 'The Beast' has little sympathy for his opponent.

He said: "I would have won it last year but I dislocated my fingers in the heats and this time around there was no way I was going to lose it. I was just so confident coming in.

"Hafthor had the bit of controversy, claiming he was robbed of the title but all I can say is that it's not a game of cards, you can't slip an ace in and cheat.

"It's not that kind of sport. It's who can lift the most weight from A to B as many times as you can.

"There's no hiding, there's no cheating and there's no deception. At the end of the day he got his a*** handed to him in a strongman competition and the little puss* cat can't take it - that's it."

As well as winning the WSM title, Hall is also the holder of the record for the most impressive feat of strength ever seen on the planet.

However, he has little intention of ever attempting to break his half-tonne deadlift.

He said: "The 500kg deadlift was the most dangerous thing I've done in my life. It's probably the most dangerous feat of strength which has ever been achieved."

"The repercussions of that was the bleeding out of my eyes, my ears and my nose, I lost my sight for a few days after and I literally had a bruised back for about two weeks.

"It set me back and this was like a month before World's Strongest Man 2016 so maybe it was that which put a dampener on the worlds and made me bust my hand.

"It was a big, big risk and I was lucky not to end up in a wheelchair after that.

"To go and do that again unless there is literally millions of pounds on the table I'm not going to bother.

"I'm not going to risk my life, literally my life, to do something for no return. I see it as I was the first man to deadlift half a tonne. There is no one even close to me at the minute but if someone was to come along and deadlift 501kg, who gives a s***? I was the first man to do 500 and that is the truth."

To read the interview in full, go to the Sport360 website .