Strongman is eating 45 eggs a week ahead of final in Warrington

On Sunday, August 25 The Halliwell Jones Stadium will once again host the England’s Strongest Man competition.

Competitors from across England have qualified to take part in the event that will see them throw kettlebells, stones and lift unfathomable weights.

“This year will be no different,” said event organiser and former UK strongman, Glenn Ross.

“We’ve got some great new challenges that are going to come to the table, so we’re very excited to be back in The Halliwell Jones Stadium.”

The competition will last about three and a half hours and it set to be bigger and better than before.

One of those preparing to compete is 29-year-old Drew Redfern, who was crowned the Midlands’ Strongest Man earlier this year, five years after he began training.

“I’ve always been into the gym and training and one of my mates said, ‘do you fancy trying a competition’,” he said.

“From the first competition I did with no real strongman training or guidance I then went on to get a coach.

“It felt incredible [to win], I just couldn’t believe it for like a week after it.”

Drew started competing in 2019 (Image: Warrington Wolves)

Preparation for an event is incredibly important, especially when lifting the weights that these competitors train to do.

But while you would expect lots of protein to be on the menu before a competition, it’s definitely more than you think.

“I get about 45 eggs a week at the minute, 14 bags of rice, six kilos of steak or mince a week, lots of vegetables and fruit,” said Drew.

“You spend about eight hours training and about eight hours eating as well.”

“It’s not what you’ve got in your fridge, it’s how many fridges you’ve got,” added Glenn.

Drew, who will eat around eight times a day leading up to a competition, has four fridges in his home that he shares with his girlfriend, Kerry Harrison.

“I understand why he’s doing it and I understand his passion for it – I mean I’m as excited as he is, it’s a big thing,” she said.

“I get emotional watching him, I cry a lot. I just sobbed [when he won] because I couldn’t believe it.”

Despite having five years of competitions under his belt, Drew admits he feels nervous ahead of the big day.

“I’ve never ever competed on this level before, all the others have been ‘car park’ competitions effectively,” he said.

“The events are fine, it’s something you train for so you’re ready for them, but competing with a massive crowd watching, you can’t really train for that.”

During an event, endorphins can help the competitors push themselves to the absolute limit, and lift weights they can’t in training.

The strongman competition has been held at the Halliwell Jones Stadium for the past two years (Image: Supplied)

“You get that adrenaline and you’ve got the crowd, we see the boys sort of come to life when they stand out there,” said Ceri Jones, who helps organise the event.

“Once you’ve got that crowd behind you it’s like a rush and they move some incredible weights.

“At competitions the boys are expected to lift close to their maximum, so competition day is like being hit by a truck twice.”

But it’s not just physical strength required to compete in a strongman competition, it’s about the mental attitude that they bring to the event too.

“You’ve got to believe in yourself and strongman is for everybody,” said Glenn.

“You could be a big kid in your class, and you’re not fast and maybe can’t kick a ball – but you can lift, and that’s what it’s all about. There's a sport for everybody.”

“You’re moving things that are seemingly impossible to move, so if you go out there and look at a truck and think ‘I can move that’ then that’s half the battle,” said Ceri.

“We encourage anybody to give it a go. There’s nothing like going to work on Monday and saying, ‘I moved a truck’.”

England’s Strongest Man competition will start at 1pm, after the women take to the stage for the UK’s Strongest Woman final at 11am.

Children under three can attend for free, and tickets start at £16.69 for those 15 and under.

A special meet and greet option is also available for fans, starting at £38.29 for adults and £70.37 for adults.