For Rayno Nel there is something special about the ability to call yourself the strongest man in the world.
The 30-year-old South African claimed the prestigious title on his debut in the competition in May – something that shocked many people, including him.
“I didn’t go into this year really thinking that this year would already be the competition where I would stand on top of that podium,” he told Not by the Playbook on the BBC World Service.
“It still feels so unreal to already have achieved it.
“You can have a UFC belt, which means you can fight good, but the World’s Strongest Man… there’s just something about the title, being the strongest.”
What makes his achievement all the more remarkable is that Nel, the first African to claim the title, only moved into the sport of strongman in 2023, four years after he gave up on his initial dream of playing professional rugby.
Having grown up in Upington, a town in Northern Cape province which Nel describes as “very isolated”, he was aware of strongman but admits it was “lucky” that it crossed his path after several years spent working full-time as an electrical engineer.
“I wanted to do a competitive sport,” he explained.
“I love the adrenaline of being in a competitive environment. I’m one of the people that really likes to put myself through hard times.”
Source: bbc.com