Northampton Personal Trainer Aims for Strongman Title

A personal trainer is set to contend for a championship at an upcoming international strongman competition. Danny Curtis, a 40-year-old resident of Northampton, is slated to participate in United Kingdom’s Natural Strongman’s (UKNS) England’s Strongest Man next March, with aspirations of qualifying for the World Championship tournament later in the summer. Strongman events typically require competitors to lift and transport heavy, unwieldy items like logs, sandbags, and tyres. Mr. Curtis expressed confidence, stating he believes he has a “very good” chance of securing the title. UKNS highlights that it provides athletes with a “transparent and drug-tested pathway” throughout all its competitions. Standing at 5ft 11in (1.8m) and weighing 95kg (15 stone), Mr. Curtis is slated to compete in the newly established lightweight category for individuals over 40. “Prior to 2019, I had no idea these contest existed for average-sized people like me,” he remarked. He added, “I took part in my first contest in 2019 in Northampton… and it’s now just absolutely grabbed me.” He also noted, “There’s such a great community. I’ve made friends from all over the world [through the sport]”. Among the challenges he has undertaken, he described carrying a “hulking great” 120kg (19 stone) metal shield on his chest for 60 seconds as the “weirdest.” For his training regimen, Mr. Curtis has transformed his garage into a strongman gym. His neighbours frequently observe him moving sandbags or pulling tyres along nearby streets. “They’re used to it now,” he commented.