A Kingston man is back from Calgary where he put his strength to the test against some of the strongest men in all of Canada.
Andrew Roach was one of 13 athletes to qualify for the Canadian Hercules. The 33-year-old was just shy of the podium, placing 4th in the competition.
“Getting top four in Canada was definitely a good time. I’m hoping to train hard all year round and maybe next year hit the podium,” said Roach.
Roach, along with three other Kingston men, qualified for the national event after dominating at the Eastern Canada Natural Strongest Man event in Gananoque in May.
The Canadian Hercules — a steroid and drug-free event — featured 13 of the country’s strongest men. They went head-to-head in five disciplines — events like the wheel barrel dead lift, tire flip and the farmers walk, where Roach lifted 410 pounds a hand.
“I’ve never even attempted, so when I lifted the 410 pounds a hand, that was over a hundred pound personal best for me a hand,” said Roach.
Roach recorded a number of personal bests at the competition. A member of the military at Canadian Forces Base Kingston, Roach was hoping to place in the top three for a chance to compete at the world championships.
And even though he’s not heading to the worlds this year, Roach is now training for next season.
Not only does he hope to make it to the world championships, but his ultimate goal is to don the maple leaf and represent Canada at the 2020 Olympics.