Strongman Mitchell Hooper has captured the greatest prize in his sport, claiming the title of World’s Strongest Man.Known as “The Moose” in the Strongman community, the Barrie, Ont., competitor beat out nine other international competitors in various feats of strength in Myrtle Beach, S.C., over the weekend to lift the Canadian flag to the top of the podium.“It’s not going to hit me for a while,” Hooper told USA Today. “It’s very hard for me to digest these things.
It’s really hard to put into words how I feel. Really, shock is how I feel.”A post shared by SBD World's Strongest Man (@theworldsstrongestman)The University of Guelph alum’s win put a stop to a potential three-peat by England’s Tom Stoltman, who placed second.
Oleskii Novikov of Ukraine came in third.And Hooper doesn’t just hold this year’s bragging rights. He’s also the first Canadian to ever hold the title of World’s Strongest Man.It was second time Hooper has attended the SBD World’s Strongest Man championship – he was chosen as a last-minute replacement pick in 2022, where he finished in eight place.But in the year that’s passed, he’s gone on a winning blitz, hitting the podium at the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic, World Open and the Shaw Classic.