ONE of Scotland's strongest men is hoping to lift the UK title when he travels to a competition in Nottingham later this month.

Chris Beetham, 35, from Tullibody, has been hard at training for the UK's Strongest Man 2023 competition, to be held at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.

No stranger to 300kg deadlifts or lifting the legendary Dinnie Stanes, Chris will be travelling down south for the competition across May 27-29 after earning second place at Scotland's Strongest Man last year.

He is going into the event with "confidence and momentum" with 2023 marking the second time he qualified.

Speaking in the lead-up, Chris told the Advertiser: "Training has been going very well but it has been all change in the last 12 months.

"I changed coach, I also brought in a grip coach after an embarrassing performance in the car hold last year and I have opened my own facility with all the specialist kit I need to train with.

"This year it is a three-day competition and we have events such as truck pull, truck push, 150kg axle press, the human wheelbarrow which is approximately 300kg, the famous atlas stones, car hold and a few others.

"The eliminator is brutal this year, hopefully I don't have to do it but in the event I do, I will have to duck walk 205kg for 30metres and up five stairs – that will be a very painful one.

"The goal is to compete in the final day in the top eight athletes and by that point anything can happen.

"I came very close last year."

 

STRONGMAN: Chris Beetham will be contesting the UK title this May

STRONGMAN: Chris Beetham will be contesting the UK title this May

 

Chris has been steadily building up the results over the years, having defied the odds after suffering a broken back while playing rugby in 2014.

By 2016 he entered the Scotland's Strongest Natural Man competition and came second, as reported then.

The Tullibody man paid tribute to his "hugely supportive family" and counts himself "very lucky".

Chris – father to Kash, six, and Ozzi, three – said: "My fiancée Kirsty helps on the nights I am training by getting both boys to sleep so I can fit in longer training sessions and my mum, dad and mother-in-law all do a share when I am competing or needing physio treatment.

"I'm very luck in this regard and grateful of their belief in me.

"I'm 35 now so I think I may be the oldest guy in the competition which is a strange feeling but I certainly don't feel old so I'm not planning on stopping any time soon."

Indeed, the Tullibody strongman feels he is yet to peak, but he knows he will be spending more time with his children as they age and develop more hobbies.

Chris also paid tribute to sponsors DNS Creative Designs, Scott Walker Sports Therapy and Craig Scott Electrical.