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Personal trainer hopes to lift strongman title

Made of Metal Coaching A man with a beard lifts up a huge Atlas stone and places it on a platform, looking tired with the effort of picking it up. Made of Metal Coaching
Danny Curtis first started competing as a strongman in 2019

A personal trainer is bidding to claim a title at an upcoming international strongman contest.

Danny Curtis, 40, from Northampton, will compete in United Kingdom's Natural Strongman's (UKNS) England's Strongest Man next March, before hopefully qualifying for the World Championship tournament in the summer.

Strongman contests involve lifting and moving heavy, awkward objects such as logs, sandbags, and tyres.

Mr Curtis said he had a "very good" chance of winning the title.

Robert Constantin/BBC A man with curly light brown hair and a full beard stands in the town centre. He is wearing a black hoodie with the Made of Metal logo on it. Robert Constantin/BBC
Danny Curtis said watching strongman contests during the Christmas holidays inspired him to take up the sport

UKNS says it offers athletes a "transparent and drug-tested pathway" across all its competitions.

Mr Curtis, who is 5ft 11in (1.8m) tall and currently weighs 95kg (15 stone), will be participating in the new lightweight category for over-40s.

"Prior to 2019, I had no idea these contest existed for average-sized people like me," he said.

"I took part in my first contest in 2019 in Northampton... and it's now just absolutely grabbed me.

"There's such a great community. I've made friends from all over the world [through the sport]".

Among the events he has tackled, the "weirdest" was carrying a "hulking great" 120kg (19 stone) metal shield on his chest for 60 seconds.

To train, Mr Curtis has converted his garage into a strongman gym, and his neighbours often spot him hauling sandbags or dragging tyres around local streets.

"They're used to it now," he said.

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