Britain’s Disabled Strongman and Strongwoman 2023
United Response are once again a proud sponsor of Britain’s Disabled Strongman and Strongwoman competition.
Talented, super-strong athletes with a range of disabilities will battle it out on the August bank holiday weekend, competing in five events – deadlift, dumbbell press, axel press, atlas stones and sled pull.
Britain’s Disabled Strongman was founded by Ilminster support worker and strongman Gary Clarke, who has worked with United Response for twelve years.
This year will be the eighth annual Britain’s Disabled Strongman and Strongwoman competition and it gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone to our spectacular event.
This event is all about banishing stereotypes and making it clear that disabled people are athletes and strong men and women in their own right. Gary explained:
Every year the standard of the athletes improves and their will to win clearly exceeds any impairment the athletes have.
The sport is all hard and heavy and that’s how things should be in order to have the impact the sport and its participants deserve.
We want to show society that anything is possible regardless of impairment.
With the right determination anything really is possible and Britain’s Disabled Strongman and Strongwoman is a perfect metaphor for this.
Erin Harris
Erin Harris (@erinxharriss_sw) joined the gym with her husband last year and it didn’t take long for her to realise her love of weightlifting:
“It wasn’t until I went to the Arnold Sports Festival in September and I met some of the other athletes at the disabled strongman stand, I thought: ‘Wow – if they can do it, I can!'”
She uploaded a video of herself training to TikTok and was approached by three-times World’s Strongest Disabled Man Mark Tonner (@marktonnerstraining), who encouraged her to train for strongwoman competitions.
Disability doesn’t define someone. People need to see us breaking these barriers. I don’t see our disabilities – I just see amazing athletes.
Plus, the whole atmosphere is amazing.
Erin won the title of England’s Strongest Disabled Woman at Fitxpo earlier this year and says that title makes her feel ‘pure pride’. Her next goal is to be the first one-armed woman to lift a 120kg stone.
“Everybody I’ve met from the community is so nice,” said Erin. “I’ve made a lot of new friends through the sport and I’m so glad I found it.
She continued:
Growing up having my disability, there was just nobody around that looked like me. I want to be that role model that I didn’t have.
She’s also planning a collaboration with Reach – a charity for children with upper limb differences.
Carly Poyser
Carly Poyser (@strengthinms) first competed in a weightlifting event at her local gym back in 2016, but it was in 2021 that Carly’s strongwoman career really began.
“My eldest son was taking part in a strongman competition,” said Carly. “But the organiser said absolutely no spectators – even though I was driving him!
“He said the only way I could come in was if I competed… so I signed up with 10 days to go!”
Rugby coach Carly was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year, after being misdiagnosed with M.E back in 2006.
“I started to notice things in training that felt different. I would have days where my arms would switch off and I wouldn’t be able to feel anything so I started having tests in January 2022.”
Carly and her sons lift weights together at the gym and she loves spending that time together, connecting over their shared passion.
Training for strongman events, she explains, can be extremely tough when you have MS:
“Sometimes you feel like your body is working against you. It just puts so much pressure on your central nervous system, then my eyesight will go a bit funny, my muscles won’t work how they’re meant to, fatigue is off the scale.”
But Carly says the benefits for both her mental health and her social life have been huge:
“I work from home but this forces you to get out to the gym and meet like-minded people, plus you’re focused which is a good distraction from everyday problems.”
© Miley Stevens Photography
She competed in England’s Strongest Disabled Woman last May and now has a WhatsApp group chat with some of the other athletes.
Her advice for anyone with MS who wants to follow in her footsteps is to be flexible and work with your body:
You can still achieve something after a diagnosis – you just have to adapt your training and roll with the punches.
It’s not linear. Each day with MS looks different for everyone. If I have to mix up sessions or do something else that day I will.
She says she’s both nervous and excited for the competition and would love to see lots of people in the audience in August:
What could be more exciting than seeing loads of people overcoming adversity, physically challenging themselves?
It’s pushing yourself to your absolute limits and it’s inspiring to watch.
Martin Tye
Ex-serviceman Martin Tye (@strongmantye) won Britain’s Disabled Strongman last year and was also named the World’s Strongest Disabled Man in 2018.
He took part in two Invictus Games before being encouraged to take part in strongman competitions back in 2017. His top deadlift weight is now a whopping 550kgs and he holds a Guinness World Record for heaviest seated deadlift by a male at 505kgs.
Martin explained how he uses strongman and his weight training as coping mechanism for his PTSD:
Getting into the gym has been a massive release for my mental health. Competing and training gives me that space I need to forget everything else and focus on what I’m doing in the moment.
© Aspect Images Photography
Still recovering from bicep surgery, Martin will be returning to the competition as assistant referee, supporting head referee and four-time World’s Strongest Man, Magnús Ver Magnússon (@magnusvermag):
“It’s a different kind of pressure refereeing. I’m looking forward to it.”
Martin founded the GB Disabled Strongman events, which are now the qualifying events for Britain’s Disabled Strongman.
Watching the athletes fight it out to get that title is spectacular. There’s so much more to a disabled strongman event than an able-bodied event.
All our athletes have their own individual stories and personal battles that got them to where they are. We don’t just have to put in the hours training every week, we also have to battle with our disabilities as well.
Martin says Britain’s Disabled Strongman is an event for the whole family:
We have inspired so many children and adults alike to start their own journey with sport. As a community, we’ve been working hard trying to get disabled strongman out there into the limelight more.
Britain’s Disabled Strongman and Strongwoman will take place on 26 and 27 August 2023 at Holyrood Academy in Chard, Somerset.
Spectators can reserve free tickets on Eventbrite.
- Jenna Lloyd is Senior Content Officer for United Response.