Army corporal named Europe's Strongest Man

"Me as a kid would have been really proud of where I've got to," says Cpl Rhys Calland on winning the title of Europe's Strongest Man.

Calland, from Paignton in Devon, says he grew up watching strongman competitions on television before launching his own training regime in his parent's garage at the tender age of 14.

The tough toil paid off when he lifted the coveted trophy in the open weight category - featuring the heaviest lifts - at the competition in Doncaster this month.

"It's surreal - such a good feeling," adds Calland, who is the first serving member of the armed forces to compete at European level in the men's open category.

Calland says fans were now asking to take photographs with him - a "surreal experience" - but that his family was "super proud".

The 30-year-old father of two says "hard work and discipline" have been the secret to success: "This morning I didn't want to get out of bed and train but you just have to keep grinding."

The "grind" has taken him from the car park competitions where he learnt his craft to big, ticketed events like Europe's Strongest Man, run by Natural Strongman.

"I'd paid to watch these events before, so knowing I was now the person people had come to see and meet was very strange," Calland adds.

He did not suffer from nerves, he says - but had to steel himself for the contest, in which his favourite event was the deadlift, achieving four repetitions of 310kg (49st) lifts.

Calland first trained at home and then as part of army life, based in Somerset and serving with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

He was drawn to competitions as a way to "try something new".

"I got really bored of doing the same thing for 10 years," said Calland, referring to his training routine.

"When I tried strongman, I just loved everything about it."

Since then, Calland has won Devon's Strongest Man twice, claimed the Armed Forces Strongest Man title, and taken first place at the WHEA World Championships, based in Finland, in October 2025.

For the European title, Calland first completed a southern qualifier for England's strongest man, coming third, before finishing tenth in England's Strongest Man.

His confidence has been bolstered, he says, by the growing recognition of strongman within the Army.

"It's really important for the sport to grow. We're getting more funding for kit and equipment," he says.

"That support has allowed me to train full time and be released from work. I can train twice a day and spend much longer in the gym," adds Calland, who calls himself a "tracksuit soldier".

Calland competed in a series of events to take the title:

1. Axle deadlift: Lifting a 310kg (49st) loaded bar, performing as many reps as possible. Calland managed four.

2. Press medley: Pushing a 140kg (22st) log up his body and overhead.

3. Yoke and carry: Dragging a 360kg (57st) frame 10m, loading it with a 140kg (22st) sandbag and dragging it back again.

4. Sandbag throwing: Throwing sandbags weighing up to 28kg (4st) over a 4.2m (13ft) bar.

5. Dumbell ladder: Lifting the load of progressively heavier weights overhead, including 60kg (9st), 70kg (11st), 80kg (13st) and 90kg (14st).

6. Sandbag loading: Picking up 140kg (22st) sandbags and loading them as many times as possible.

The soldier's tough regime includes fuelling his body with up to 6,000 calories daily.

Breakfast at 05:00 BST is five eggs, followed by a mid-morning snack of oats, a protein bar and Greek yoghurt.

Lunch is likely to be spaghetti or chill con carne, followed by an afternoon meal of "beef or chicken with rice", then dinner, followed by an evening bagel, protein shake and banana, with a pint of milk.

Calland, a father of two who attended Torquay Academy before joining the Army a decade ago, does take breaks from the training - with fishing and beach trips with his family.

Next on the agenda is World's Strongest Man in Glasgow in August.

"I'll just keep turning up and going through the motions - that's the key.

"A lot of people start going to the gym and then bin it off, you just have to keep doing it over and over again.

"You're not at your peak strength until you're 37 - I'd be retired now if I were a footballer.

"So I'm just going to keep going."

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