This year, we had the honour of supporting GB Disabled Strongman by providing them with merch for their athletes and support crew for the England's Strongest Disabled Man at FitXpo event, which happened over the past weekend (13th-14th May 2023). Through working with the organization, we were so inspired by the work that they do - we knew we had to learn a little more about GBDS, so we had a chat with marketing manager Steve Hole.
Can you tell us a bit about your role in GB Strongest Disabled Man, and how you got involved in the first place?
"I met Martin & Bex Tye around March 2022, when we put on a fund raising event for them in the gym I was working at. I was obviously blown away by their abilities in light of the fact they had various disabilities, and within a week or two, Martin and myself started training together.
During these sessions, the conversations veered towards the Arnolds Sports Festival UK, and having come from a design and marketing background, I threw my hat in the ring and said I would help them out. The Arnolds Festival was a huge success and shortly after that, I became part of GB Disabled Strongman, creating the brand, developing and creating all the proposals and marketing materials, and trying my damned hardest to make them look as good as I can."
How important is it to create an inclusive and accessible environment for all participants as well as attendees, and what steps do you take to ensure that everyone feels welcome and supported?
"Bex & Martin are in almost constant contact with the athletes, and even those that have just started their strongman journey will have had so much contact, with not only the heads of GB but also the athletes themselves, that when they arrive to their first event, they are already like family.
Event locations are obviously chosen to ensure that all athletes can gain access, and as is often said about able bodied Strongman, 'You will not find a more inclusive and caring environment than in the Strongman world.' And this is true in our world.
These athletes have already battled adversity in their own lives and when together, it seems to immediately develop a sense of kinship. There is obviously a competitive edge, but at the end of the day, you will witness all the athletes cheering one another on.
Due to the amount of varying conditions, a class system has been created so that people with similar conditions and abilities are competing directly against their peers giving everyone the opportunity to podium if they put in the work and train hard enough."
What kind of impact do you hope this event will have on the wider community, and how do you plan to spread awareness about the strength and capabilities of disabled individuals?
"Getting onto the bigger stage has always been a goal of Martin & Bex. And with their tireless work giving us the Arnolds in 2021 and 2022, the event at FitXpo, we hope, will spread the awareness of disabled strength sports once more and with a fresh audience, as we are now in Manchester.
It’s like a band on the road, whereby you need more gigs to meet more people to help spread the word and see how amazing you are. With us now getting invites to major events off the back of the Arnolds, we are slowly on the road to achieving the dream with 3 more events this year in varying parts of the country. This will help us to bolster the ranks as we want to attract more and more athletes to compete, which in turn will ‘Spread The Word.'"
What have been some of the biggest highlights since starting up these Strongest Disabled Man events?
"I’m sure that Bex & Tye (Martin) will have many. Not only having the Guinness World Records present for Tye’s World heaviest seated deadlift record, to having Eddie Hall cheer them on at the Arnolds.
But for me, it’s one highlight and the real reason I got involved...
During the event where we met, I had the pleasure of meeting several athletes with varying conditions, but they were already very experienced. And although it was impressive, it felt as though they were expected to lift these monstrous weights. However, it was girl called Phoebe that changed my perspective of disability and how these athletes truly wouldn’t let anything stop them.
Phoebe suffers from Ataxia which seriously affects her balance, coordination, mobility and comes with several other conditions that you would think would make lifting weights and entering a gym impossible. She got up, walked over and pulled a 50kg deadlift, which I assume was either equal to or more than her body weight.
The effort, concentration, determination and finish with the biggest smile ever, for me, was the absolute essence of what GB Disabled Strongman is all about and it was at this point I almost felt compelled to get involved."
What stereotypes/prejudices to you hope to combat through the work of this organization?
"Disabled does not mean they are not able.
I personally feel that people immediately hear the word and think of someone incapable of looking after themselves, and running around trying to get handouts while at the same time having someone physically live their life for them, while they sit around and moan about being disabled.
This is the stereotype / form of prejudice that I personally want to eradicate, and through the promotion of GB Disabled Strongman and the capabilities of our athletes, I hope that it goes some way to changing people’s mindset and realising that the guy you just saw in the wheelchair could well be the next World Strongest Disabled Man."
What message would you like to send to anyone who is considering participating in GB Strongest Disabled Man, or who may be struggling with a disability and feeling like they can't achieve their goals?
"I would ask them to immediately get in touch and come to one of our events to meet the athletes and hear it direct from them, that nothing is impossible.
We can help you with your training both physically and mentally, to help you move past those hurdle’s you feel have always been in the way and get you on the road to competition."
Which events, projects, collabs are you most looking forward to this year?
We are not allowed to say at this stage. It may sound like a marketing ploy, but I can assure you contracts are being written and agreed and news is on the horizon. Its this news I most looking forward to.
Finish the sentence: True strength is…
". . .not letting the inner or physical demons beat you, and having the ability to adapt, overcome and move forward day by day."
To learn more about GB Disabled Strongman, visit their website here.
Follow them on Instagram here.
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