IT’S no mean feat to life 181kg over your head – but that’s exactly what Coventry man Seán O’Hagan did in Ireland.
Then again, Seán is no ordinary athlete. He competes in strongman competitions for Ireland.
“I’ve been doing it for about eight years now,” Seán told The Irish Post of the unique sport.
Because of his Belfast-born father, Seán was able to declare for Ireland and compete in Irish competitions.
Working as a doorman by night and training for up to six hours a day in his local Body FX gym, 33-year-old Seán’s aim is to make it to the World’s Strongest Man competition next year.
To get that far, Seán will need to win the Irish title and qualify for the British Strongman competition.
It’s not an easy task – but with eight years of practice Seán is hoping he can manage to pull it off.
“It takes patience and a lot of determination,” he said. “You have to get really focused. If you don’t dedicate yourself to it, you won’t get anywhere. It’s like any other sport.”
Check out Seán’s life in numbers here…
10,000 calories
The number of calories Seán must eat every day just to feed his body after his 5-6 hour daily workout. Seán’s meals include a breakfast of up to 24 Weetabix and he could eat 20 eggs in one sitting and have six steaks for dinner.
- Seán competing in a log press competition.
20 tonnes
The tasks of a strongman are varied – but one thing Seán has done is pull a truck, some of which can be extremely heavy.
“The cars would be 400 kilos plus,” he said. “Then sometimes there’s vans of about 500 kilos and the trucks then are around 20 tonnes.”
181kg
The weight that Seán managed to lift right above his head to claim the Irish log press record. The previous record was 180kg - and Seán managed to lift a colossal 181kg log over his head.
28 stone
Seán's weight has shot up since he began competing in strongman competitions to 28 stone.
"I was always a big fellow, around 18 stone," he said. "But with all the training and the food that goes into competing, I've put on 10 stone and am up to 28 now."
- Seán in competition
4 discs
The number of discs Seán has prolapsed in his back – among many injuries he has picked up over the years.
“I've had are ruptured calfs, torn bicep and most recent was four prolapsed discs in my back,” he said.
Lifting cars and pulling trucks is not without its dangers.
2 Seáns
The number of Seán O’Hagans who compete in the Irish strongman championships – Seán from Coventry and Seán from Co. Down.
See More: Featured, Sean O'hagan, Strongman
