The strongest chap in Ireland

By Robert Carry

“I’m only 19 stone,” says Kilkenny man James Fennelly. It would be a ridiculous remark but for the fact that 26-year-old James is two-time and reigning Ireland’s Strongest Man, and is gearing up to compete against international strongmen – some more then 10 stone heavier than he is.

James came from hurling stock and his immediate and extended family is steeped in the game. He initially followed down their path, in the footsteps of the other famed Fennellys of Kilkenny, and joined his local club, Tullaroan. “I won a fair few medals with them over the years,” he recalls.

The young James cut an imposing figure on hurling pitch: “When I was 16 I was 16 stone and six-foot-three,” he remembers.

His drift from the sport began when he first joined a gym as a 17-year-old, and it wasn’t long before the teenager was spending most of his free time in the weights room. “I used to train six or seven nights a week when I first started,” he recalls. “I just got addicted to it.”

James started off as a bodybuilder, but he had little interest in posing in fluorescent g-strings while plastered in fake tan and soon switched to power lifting. James’s remarkable strength was noticed by those around him and in 2007 he was approached with an offer. “A guy called Ray Dwyer, who had been active in strongman events, asked if I was interested in doing a novice strongman competition,” he remembers.

James doing his thing with ludicrously heavy weights

James had little prior knowledge of strongman competitions and no previous experience, but he decided to go along and give it a shot. It proved to be an important decision. “I came second,” he recalls. “The events – dragging things, dead-lifting, loading – seemed to suit me. Coming second gave me some inspiration and I went from there.”

James rapidly began to build on his debut performance and in 2008 he entered Ireland’s Strongest Man. Despite being a virtual novice by comparison with the other entrants, James came in fifth. “I realised I had a lot of work to do after that,” he recalls. “I was strong in certain areas but I needed to work on others.”

James bought a range of strongman equipment and threw himself into training. Next time he appeared in Ireland’s Strongest Man, in 2009, he won the competition outright and followed it up with a title defence.

Despite being hugely successful in his sport, James doesn’t fit into the normal strongman mould. “I wouldn’t be your typical strongman,” he says. “I focus a lot on fitness and like to keep in shape. I’m also still new to the sport – most strongmen would be in their 30s.”

James admits that the sport can rapidly take over: “You sometimes question your sanity,” he says. “Your friends are heading off somewhere and you’re staying behind to flip tractor tyres in the rain.” He continues, “I find if you can pull through those days you can pull through anything.”

A quick demo on how to dead-lift a car

Next up for James, who also works as a personal trainer, is the Strongman Champions League Ireland this Sunday 6 June. The event will see strongmen from abroad arriving in Ireland to compete in various events. One will involve pulling a 20-ton truck. “It will be an arm-over-arm truck pull,” says James. “You’re harnessed up to the truck and you have to, basically, run off with it.”

James is hoping to use his experience and qualifications as a personal trainer to bring strongman training to the masses, and will be holding his first class the day after competing in the Champions League.

The modified strength training classes will target people interested in strength training and those looking for a new type of workout. “It will be modified training for teams, rugby players and anyone who wants to try it,” says James. “They wouldn’t be lifting the sort of weight we are, but the training is the same style. It’s a different, alternative way for people to train but it’s fun too – lads will enjoy doing it.”

Unfortunately, James has struggled with injury this year and is only now getting back to full fitness. “Tendonitis in my right knee,” he says. “It’s probably the worst injury I’ve had but I’ve been seeing a specialist over the last couple of weeks in Dublin and I’m on the mend thank God.”

James impressing Martin ‘I’m out here in the weather’ King

James has noticed that injuries, even when all but healed, can have an impact on strongmen competitors. “That type of thing can affect you mentally,” he says. “You find yourself wondering if you’re as powerful as you were.”

However, James is very much looking forward to the Strongman Champions League Ireland at Limerick Racecourse this weekend. If he is to be successful, it will involve out-performing a collection of the most powerful men on the planet.

“It’s my first opportunity to compete with the likes Terry Hollands,” says James of the 30-stone, 6’7” World’s Strongest Man competitor. “I met Terry at a sports expo last week in Birmingham and to be honest with you, he’s an absolute colossus of a man. You find yourself thinking, how am I going to compete against him?”

Despite the size of his opponents, James is determined to give a good account of himself. “I will go out and do my best and if I can hold my own in some way and do Ireland proud, I will be happy enough.”

If you want to see James and the rest of the strongmen in action, pick yourself up a ticket and pop along to Limerick Racecourse. Alternatively, have a butchers at Eurosport, who will be airing the whole competition.

And for more on the Strongman Champions Ireland event, and to win some yummy hamper, click here.