- The World’s Strongest Man winner says Tom Haviland could beat him
- Mitchell Hooper was full of praise for the Australian strongman
- Haviland has made waves online and has a cult following
Reigning World’s Strongest Man champion Mitchell Hooper believes mysterious Australian cult hero Tom Haviland could take the coveted title if he commits to training for next year’s competition.
Haviland, who stands 203 cm (6’8″) tall and weighs 157 kg (346 lb), has developed a cult following in the fitness world, with supporters such as Joe Rogan saying he has the “most freakish physique ever.”
The towering 37-year-old lives a quiet life on a remote property on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, doing most of his lifting outside on his property while wearing the kind of working-class clothes associated with construction workers.
He also sets himself apart from other strongmen by not only lifting weights, but also lugging super-heavy truck parts and boulders, while almost always keeping his face hidden.
Haviland exclusively told Ny Breaking Australia in January that he is “extremely grateful” for the interest in his training he has received recently, but it is not in his nature to seek out the spotlight.
Reigning World’s Strongest Man champion Mitchell Hooper (pictured) says Tom Haviland is one of the strongest men in the world and could take the coveted title
Haviland, who stands 203 cm (6’8″) tall and weighs 157 kg (346 lb), has made waves in the fitness world with astonishing strength feats
Hooper, a record-breaking strongman himself, is a big fan of Australian man-mountain and explained in a recent YouTube video exactly how impressive some of Haviland’s lifts really are.
The superstar said Haviland is not just strong in one area, but can complete amazing lifts across a range of different movements.
“We’re lining up pretty well,” Hooper concluded at the end of his video.
“If Tom Haviland came to World’s Strongest Man, I don’t think he would just be fighting for the final, I think he would be fighting for the podium.
“And I think he could win the Strongest Man in the World if he committed himself to Strongman (training).”
It is not known whether Haviland would be interested in such a project as he seems perfectly content training on his Australian estate.
“I prefer to keep my posts focused on my training and not on me personally,” Haviland told Ny Breaking Australia.
‘I add little bits of my personal life here and there, but I’m a private person and I prefer to maintain boundaries on social media and don’t feel like it distracts from what I’m trying to do.
Podcast icon Joe Rogan is a big fan of Haviland and recently described the towering Aussie as having the ‘most freakish body ever’
Haviland rarely shows his face while training, so his followers will focus on what he’s lifting rather than what he looks like
The Australian is usually seen in work clothes rather than typical gym clothes, admitting this is purely more practical and suits his life when working on a site
“I know it seems strange to a lot of people and I can understand that, but I like it and it’s worked well so far, so until I see a reason to change, I’ll keep doing it this way.
“I also can’t deny that I get a kick out of all the speculation about what happened to my face.”
When it comes to why he covers his body in work clothes instead of activewear like tank tops and shorts, Haviland admits it’s a purely practical choice that suits his life working on an estate.
“Most of my training is spent in the sun lifting rusty tools, stones and wood, so the trousers and long sleeves are practical,” he says.
“I see my training as an extension of all the manual work I do, so I just go by the old saying: ‘train how you play.’
“I also like that it takes some of the focus away from the physical/cosmetic side of things and keeps it more on the performance.”