Mark Westaby
Encyclopedia
Mark Westaby (born 17 April 1965) is a British
strongman
competitor, notable for being a repeat competitor at the World's Strongest Man
.
. He attended Tadcaster Grammar School
before becoming a farmer. Mark Westaby's entry into the world of strength athletics was unlike any other of his counterparts. Rather than come into the sport from another sporting career, such as powerlifting, field athletics or weightlifting, or have been a focussed strength athlete, Mark simply wandered across a local strongman contest in 2003, entered it and won.
His rise to the highest levels of British strength athletics was fast and by 2006 he had won Adrian Rollinson
's Might Midlander contest. He featured prominently in Britain's Strongest Man in 2007, coming fifth overall and even secured a place at the 2007 World's Strongest Man
finals. In 2008 he also came fifth in Britain's Strongest Man, and in 2009 came second in England's Strongest Man to the soon to be WSM finalist Laurence Shahlaei
. He went on to claim third spot in 2009's UK's Strongest Man. In the latter end of 2009 he placed fifth in the Winter Giants event, organised by Denny Felix (wife of Mark Felix
).
In 2010 he won the regional finals of the England’s Strongest Man contest held in Barnard Castle, but did not feature in the finals of England's Strongest Man. Also in 2010 at the Bodypower Expo at the NEC
in Birmingham
, he won the strongman competition also organised by Denny Felix, and in so doing earned an invitation to the Strongman Champions League
- Ireland competition where he came sixth.
Outside of strongman, he still runs a smallholding, as well as a landscaping business which he said keeps him fit.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
strongman
Strongman (strength athlete)
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...
competitor, notable for being a repeat competitor at the World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...
.
Biography
Mark Westaby was born in 1965 in Healaugh, near TadcasterTadcaster
Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. Lying on the Great North Road approximately east of Leeds and west of York. It is the last town on the River Wharfe before it joins the River Ouse about downstream...
. He attended Tadcaster Grammar School
Tadcaster Grammar School
Tadcaster Grammar School is a secondary school near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England founded in 1557 by Owen Oglethorpe as an all boys school. The school is no longer situated in the brewery town of Tadcaster, rather in the hamlet of Toulston just outside the town...
before becoming a farmer. Mark Westaby's entry into the world of strength athletics was unlike any other of his counterparts. Rather than come into the sport from another sporting career, such as powerlifting, field athletics or weightlifting, or have been a focussed strength athlete, Mark simply wandered across a local strongman contest in 2003, entered it and won.
His rise to the highest levels of British strength athletics was fast and by 2006 he had won Adrian Rollinson
Adrian Rollinson
Adrian Rollinson is a British strongman competitor, notable for being a repeat competitor at the World's Strongest Man.- Biography :...
's Might Midlander contest. He featured prominently in Britain's Strongest Man in 2007, coming fifth overall and even secured a place at the 2007 World's Strongest Man
2007 World's Strongest Man
The 2007 World's Strongest Man was the 30th edition of World's Strongest Man and was won by Mariusz Pudzianowski from Poland. It was his fourth title. Sebastian Wenta also from the Poland finished second after finishing sixth the previous year, and Terry Hollands from the United Kingdom finished...
finals. In 2008 he also came fifth in Britain's Strongest Man, and in 2009 came second in England's Strongest Man to the soon to be WSM finalist Laurence Shahlaei
Laurence Shahlaei
Laurence Shahlaei is a British strongman competitor, winner of the England's Strongest Man title at 2009 and repeat competitor at the World's Strongest Man.-Early life:...
. He went on to claim third spot in 2009's UK's Strongest Man. In the latter end of 2009 he placed fifth in the Winter Giants event, organised by Denny Felix (wife of Mark Felix
Mark Felix
Mark Felix is a strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition...
).
In 2010 he won the regional finals of the England’s Strongest Man contest held in Barnard Castle, but did not feature in the finals of England's Strongest Man. Also in 2010 at the Bodypower Expo at the NEC
NEC
, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, he won the strongman competition also organised by Denny Felix, and in so doing earned an invitation to the Strongman Champions League
Strongman Champions League
The Strongman Champions League is a strongman competition circuit, bestowing the Champions League Winner title to the overall winner, and is competed for by a pool of strength athletes containing some of the most notable in the sport, including Žydrūnas Savickas, Travis Ortmayer, Mikhail Koklyaev,...
- Ireland competition where he came sixth.
Outside of strongman, he still runs a smallholding, as well as a landscaping business which he said keeps him fit.