With events being postponed or cancelled in sports across the world, Tom Stoltman is feeling fitter than ever, having just smashed the record for the Atlas Stones behind closed doors at the Arnold Classic event in Ohio. Here he tells Mirafit how changing his nutritionist and training the events he’s weakest in has meant he feels ready to take on the World at Europe’s strongest man in a month’s time – as long as authorities will let him.

Self-isolation is not a difficult thing to do in the small highland town of Invergordon. It is for this reason perhaps that Tom Stoltman, one of the favourites going into next month’s Europe’s Strongest Man event, isn’t too worried about the coronavirus. Being one of the world’s strongest men also probably gives him some level of comfort. “Up here, you’re just kind of removed from it all and you can just work on your training. You hear about what’s going on in the media and it just causes people to panic. There’s no cases up here that’s for sure.”

But being a professional athlete requires travel for competitions and Tom has just got back from the US, having obliterated the Atlas Stones world record by lifting a 273kg stone at the Arnold Classic event in Ohio. “It feels great,” he says. “But I haven’t thought about it too much. I’ve got big events coming up so I’m glad to be in good shape going into those.”

This year’s Arnold Classic was a little different as fans were barred from watching the expo and record attempts. “At the Arnolds we got there and weren’t sure if we were going to be competing or not. It was so much going back and forth and decisions being changed every day," he continues. "They were good though, we were tested for coronavirus at the airport and all the athletes were tested before competing so we were good to go.” Tom hopes that if the Giants Live event in Leeds next month goes ahead, a similar athlete-testing process is brought in to protect competitors and fans.

“I felt great out there in the US. I had so much energy,” he adds. “I changed my nutritionist a few weeks before the record and it was a big risk as you don’t want to change too much in your preparations. But the guy is great. He had me eating six meals a day out there, eggs, double burgers and potatoes and things. With this guy it’s a diet plan that’s specific to me and I really have never felt stronger. I think now with my coach and nutritionist I can just build on what I’ve already achieved and go for World’s Strongest Man in 18 months time.”

Tom says the key to his great form in 2020 has been relentless training and listening to the advice of his team, which he believes is now made up of all the right people to take him to the top of Strongman. He has prioritised working on disciplines which don't come so easily to him, like the log-press, to improve his overall form going into the multi-event strongman competitions.

After breaking the Atlas Stones world record with a 273kg lift, Tom wants to stamp his name on the discipline. “There’s a guy down in Glasgow making me a 285kg stone, so I’ll work with that and train with that. I want to go for the 300kg next year and hold the record for years to come.”

Tom and his brother Luke are both going into Europe’s Strongest Man in Leeds as strong contenders next month and will compete against some huge names in the world of strongman, including Adam Bishop, who won Britain’s Strongest Man in January. There are, however, fears the event may be called off in light of the coronavirus pandemic. But as things stand, the event will run as planned.

“I think it will go ahead,” Tom says. “But even if all the events were cancelled until October, I’d just train for that 300kg Atlas Stone lift. I want to set a record which no one's going to beat for a lot of years.”

Europe’s Strongest Man is due to take place on 4^th April at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. Follow the event and see the full line-up of strongmen on the Giants Live website.

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