Bideford strongman aims for UK's strongest man title

Luke Sutton, a 37-year-old strongman from Bideford, is on a mission to claim the UK's Strongest Man under-80 kilo title.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, Luke has undergone a remarkable transformation, shedding from 138kg to a lean 80kgs, all in pursuit of success in the world of natural strongman competitions.

On Sunday, January 28, Luke is gearing up for his first U80kg England's Strongest Natural competition organised by UK Natural Strongman, which will be held in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

With 20-plus athletes in his weight class, the top six qualifiers secure a spot in UK's Strongest Man competition in May.

Luke's journey into strongman began with a simple fascination while watching it on TV when it aired at Christmas. In 2015, he decided to turn that interest into action by participating in his first competition.

"I always wanted to do it and really wanted to give it a go," he said. With no prior experience, he took the plunge and has been hooked on strongman ever since.

His shift from a hefty 138kg came with the realisation of weight class competitions and the discovery of the natural/drug-tested strongman scene. Choosing to compete as a natural lifter, Luke found a better fit in this category, steering clear of open weight competitions where he felt out of his depth.

Training out of Platform Gym in Barnstaple, owned and supported by Steve Middleton, Luke has acknowledged the vital support he receives. "It's one of the best-equipped gyms in the area for strongman and powerlifting," he noted.

Luke also receives coaching and programming courses via the MST Systems app as well as nutritional support from Ollie Clarke at Limitless Strength.

But Luke's ambitions don't stop at the UK's Strongest Man title; he dreams of qualifying for the World's Strongest Natural competition in Ireland later this year. The UK's Strongest Man/ Woman 2023 will be held in Galway, Ireland on June 3 and 4.

Fully aware of the intense competition in the lightweight strongman scene, Luke remains dedicated to pushing his limits and reaching new heights in the world of natural strongman competitions.