“It Got Completely Paralysed”: Former World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Bjornson Suffered a Rare Face Illness in 2017

The world’s strongest man, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, became a household name in the bodybuilding community because of his massive physique. But life has not been always smooth sails for the GoT actor. In an Instagram post dated April 1st, 2017, The Mountain had something unfortunate to share with his fans.

The Strongman opened up about how a virus attacked him, paralyzing half of his face. He took over social media to talk about his medical condition just a week before Europe’s Strongest Man competition.

The Strongman caught a paralytic infection

The post revealed Hafþór Björnsson The Mountain waking up one morning and feeling numbness in his face. Hafþór didn’t pay much attention to it until it got worse, and he was completely paralyzed. He said, “It got worse over the course of the day and then it got completely paralysed.”

When Strongman went to the ER, he discovered he had caught Bell’s Palsy. The cause of the disease is unknown, but it is a viral infection that causes temporary paralysis in facial muscles. Fortunately for Strongman, the condition was not too severe, and he could still participate in the upcoming Strongman competition.

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“There was nothing to worry about. That I have caught some virus called Bells Palsy which causes half of my face getting paralysed. It can last from a week to a few months apparently”, he added as he tried to ease it out for his fanbase. 

Hafþór also told his fans that he would not be able to smile during the contest. It was an appeal not to mislead his fans since his paralyzed face might come off as rude to some. The Strongman promised to put on an excellent show for the audience and be a formidable contender despite his condition.

Hafþór stood true to his words

Strongman stood steadfast to his claim and won Europe’s Strongest Man Competition in 2017. Eddie Hall and Terry Hollands backed the second and third positions. Hafþór won the World’s Strongest Man title in 2018 after coming second in the same event in 2017 against Eddie Hall. He later went on to win the Arnold Strongman Classic title consecutively from 2018–2020.

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So, what do you think of the Strongman’s undying spirit towards his sport? Tell us in the comments!