Mansfield man Mark Stevenson won the Rotherham Highland Games to claim a place at the Peak District Highland Games 2023 competition.

Mark, originally a fan of strongman events before becoming a competitor, was up against seasoned athletes in the masters, open, and under-105 weight categories.

A bench joiner by day, he said: “I am over the moon to have won this competition, coming late into the sport and only having a week between competing at the Peak District Highland Games.”

Mark first got it into the sport watching the Peak District Highland Games a few years ago, where the crowd were invited to have a go at the caber toss — a 50kg wooden pole.

He stepped up his training from being a regular gym enthusiast to more strongman-specific weight training.

In the first event at Rotherham, a giant 100kg log press, Mark dropped points on a weaker event, but he collected more points on the caber toss and stone throw to move consistently into the top three.

Then he came into his own on the 150kg Atlas Stone, which had to be lifted in a front hold from a platform for as long as possible.

All competitors found this a gruelling event, particularly as it came straight after the 150kg Husafell Stone carry.

Mark held the Atlas Stone for one minute 58 seconds, 45 seconds clear of his nearest rival, to earn the title of Rotherham Highland Games champion 2022.

He added: “I went all out on the stone, probably more than I needed to.

“I had performed well in most of the events so I knew scoring points would keep me around the podium.”
Andrew Picken, of Man Beast strongman events, which ran the event, added: “It is a great story. Our competitions have took a fan of the sport (and made him) into a winner.

“We invest in the grass roots of the sport and gave Mark a chance on two of our shows. He has now solidified his place in the Peak District Highland Games 2023 and along the way won a title. It demonstrates hard work pays off.”