“I Was in Serious Danger”: 2023 World’s Strongest Man Shared His Experience on Beating Notable Co-Athletes and Winning Gold

This year, the 46th World Strongest Man competitions were held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It kickstarted on April 19 and was concluded by Canadian strongman, Mitchell Hooper as the WSM Champion, the first-ever from his homeland. A mighty triumph, the athlete elucidated his entire escapade on his self-titled YouTube channel. 

In a recent video, the strongman decided to shed light on his pre-competition rituals and also how he struggled mid-competing. Besides, his group was overshadowed by star athletes who had the potential to easily ace the event. 

Mitchell Hooper did the extraordinary

On Saturday, the 27-year-old athlete illustrated the details of his win that charted his path to being a successful strongman in the sphere. He claimed that ahead of the competitions, he and his wife paid a visit to the alligator park and that he likes to relax more. He resorted to activities like drinking, or going for a swim at the pool, to take a break from all the stress. Hooper nuanced his uncommon behavior as a way to get into the right “headspace” to bring out his best. “You guys see me do a lot of stuff before contests that most guys won’t,” he said. 

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Speaking of his competitive group, he listed out top athletes like Mateusz Kieliszkowski and Pavlo who threatened him with their presence. He also pointed out others who could outperform him, which led to a drop in his confidence. Hence, the 6’3” icon revealed, “I’m looking at that group and thinking who on earth would be the bottom two. It’s really quite impossible to tell. The work was cut out…So, I didn’t go in with 100 percent confidence.”

During Conan’s Wheel event in the heats phase, Hooper’s start didn’t go as expected. He had intended it to go well, which would push him to the finals. “I picked up that Conan’s Wheel horribly…I was in this sort of like handcuff position that was sort of weird for about half a lap. I thought I was in serious danger at this stage,” the champion narrated. Eventually, it was okay but he intends on being mindful of his strategy the next time. Besides his feat, he also shed light on the issues that surfaced during the event. 

Challenges faced by Mitchell Hooper at the 2023 WSM

As a competitor, the Canadian athlete was disappointed with a number of aspects. Co-competitor, Flex Lewis, was erroneously introduced as bodybuilder legend, Flex Wheeler. Moreover, the rain significantly hurdled the seamless running of the event. Particularly, Hooper was disturbed by the absence of a rulebook. “We weren’t given a set of rules. The only time I read any rules were when I asked for the rules on the bus on the way to day one of the finals.”

“No one was clear on the rules from the get go,” he added, in contrast to the “traditional” way, where competitors get a package of rules. The interview presented a candid glimpse of his mindset that encouraged his ultimate victory. 

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Do you think he’ll be a reigning champion for the next year too? Tell us in the comments.