Cumbria’s strongest teen has bagged another strongman title.
Keenan Pearson, 16, of Maryport, scooped the top spot in Kaos Gym’s Strongest Teen competition in Preston on Sunday.
It marks another step forward in the teen’s strongman journey after he was crowned Britain’s strongest man under 17 last year and came second place at this year’s Yorkshire’s Most Powerful Man competition.
The competition was hosted by top strongwoman Rhianon Lovelace and Keenan was the second youngest person to compete.
Keenan’s mum, Emma Pearson, said both Keenan and his family are over the moon with his latest win.
She said: “He entered originally in the Under 17s competition, as there was an Under 15s, Under 17s, and Under 19s, but when we got down they put everyone into one category, and the organiser asked all competitors if they wanted to do a mix of all weights.
“So Keenan was doing the Under 19s weights and he won all five events, which has never been known.
“He went down with an open mind and I said just because you won in December for the British title, doesn’t mean you’re going to win now! There’s people out there training just as hard as him.
“But he went in for all the highest weights and he did fantastic.”
Keenan won the axle with one rep at the highest weight of 110kg, the 220kg deadlift with three reps and the 20 metre farmer’s walk carrying 130kg in just 16.7 seconds.
During the yoke, Keenan only needed to complete 10 metres carrying the 280kg weight to win, but managed instead to do 20 metres in 12.8 seconds.
For the five sandbag carry, he had to carry weights of 70kg, 80kg, 100kg, and120kg and had to beat 22.7 seconds to win, and he managed to do in just 19 seconds.
Emma said: “He was over the moon, but everyone was saying how humble he was, he takes it all in his stride and he’s not big headed.
“He’s doing absolutely fantastic and me and his dad will follow him and support him 110 per cent wherever he goes.
“When he first came home and he told us he was doing strongman we had no idea what it was, he’d got talking to the lads at the rugby club who did it and later offered to teach him the ropes.
“I was a bit disappointed at the start because I’d watched him play rugby since he was six, and I said to him, does that mean you’re going to pack rugby in? At the time he didn’t, but now seeing how much he enjoys this, it’s took all that disappointment away.
“I watch him and I’m in absolute awe, I think how does he lift that above his head! But me, his dad and the rest of his family are behind him whatever.”
Keenan is now doing a groundworks apprenticeship with TCL and Lakes College – but he still finds time to train six days a week.
Emma said: “He still makes time for training around it, he gets in from work, gets a quick change and is training for two hours.
“I say to him how do you do it, you’ve been at work all day! And he just says he has no time to rest!”
Keenan has also started an athlete social media page under his new strongman name The Cumbrian Ox.
The youngster said that he is hugely grateful for the people and businesses that have come forward to sponsor him as part of Team Ox and help him on his strongman journey.
Emma said: “Honestly, he wouldn’t be able to do any of it without his sponsors, they’ve helped a massive amount with funding.
“There’s one that funds more or less all his travel and gives him food out of the takeaway free of charge when he gets back.
“Keenan’s looking at doing natural competitions next year and entry alone costs around £100 and because it’s natural, they want blood tests and that’s about £80 per test and there’s a yearly fee for it all as well, so the expenses just keep rising.
“Strongman isn’t a very known sport and it doesn’t have much support overall, so every single sponsor he’s got doesn’t go unnoticed because it makes a huge difference.”
These include: Gem Pedro, Alana’s Laundry Basket, Emma Mallisa PT, Harrison & Little, Sean Marsh, Maryport Boys and Girls club, RAC Windows and Doors, Richard Sean Hocking, West Lakes Health, Essence Cumbria, Pink Pig Print & Embroidery, Shane Taylor Welding Ltd, Revamped Kitchens Cumbria, On Tap Heating & Plumbing Services Cumbria Ltd, MTS, AJ Security and coaches Adam Rumney at Cumberland Strongman Academy and Ben Harrison at Gain Station.
If you’d like to sponsor Keenan and help him on his journey, you can get in touch via social media here or via email at [email protected].
