Who is Shane Flowers? Meet the powerlifter competing in World's Strongest Man 2025
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
SHANE Flowers is rapidly rising through the ranks of British strongmen, having previously slept on a barn floor while working 84-hour weeks.
The former international powerlifter is competing in World's Strongest Man 2025 — here's everything you need to know.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Shane Flowers was a powerlifter before transitioning to strongman events
Credit: https://www.instagram.com/sbdapparel/?hl=en
Who is Shane Flowers?
Shane Flowers was born on February 10, 1994, and hails from Weymouth in Dorset.
Standing at an impressive 6'4" and weighing in at around 153–160kg, before his Strongman career, Shane was a competitive powerlifter, representing England at international level.
His transition to strongman began during the Covid-19 lockdown, when gym closures forced him to improvise and train with heavy construction items such as bags of sand and weighted scaffolding poles.
He told SunSport: "When Covid-19 hit they shut down all the gyms nationwide.
read more on shane flowers
MENTAL STRENGTH I was homeless and sleeping in barn, now I compete at World's Strongest Man
"With powerlifting you have to train with very specific kit and I no longer had access to that, but I wanted to carry on lifting weights.
"So I literally just bought a budget strongman kit, which was just sandbags and logs — all that kind of stuff.
"I started training on my driveway and realised I was pretty good at it."
Shane's rapid rise
Shane's ascent in the strongman world has been remarkably rapid.
After only eight months of dedicated strongman training, he won England's Strongest Man in 2021 — his debut competition.
The victory propelled him to the Giants Live circuit, where he faced off against elite competitors including the Stoltman brothers and Adam Bishop.
World's Strongest Man launches new career
In his first appearance at Britain's Strongest Man in 2022, Shane finished fourth, narrowly missing a podium spot and a direct qualification for the World's Strongest Man.
He also placed in fifth at Europe's Strongest Man the same year, despite suffering a bicep injury on the final event.
Competition highlights
Shane has consistently delivered strong performances at major events, including:
England's Strongest Man 2021: Winner on debut
Britain's Strongest Man 2022: 4th place
Europe's Strongest Man 2022: 5th place
SCL England 2023: Winner
Giants Live World Open Deadlift Championships 2023: Podium finish with a 430 kg deadlift
2
Shane's transition to strongman began during the Covid-19 lockdown when gym closures forced him to improvise
Credit: https://www.instagram.com/sbdapparel/?hl=en
In addition to podium finishes, Shane has excelled in events such as the sandbag toss and Atlas Stones, often placing first in these disciplines.
His background in powerlifting gives him a strong foundation in static strength, while his natural athleticism and speed make him a threat in loading races and medleys.
Balancing work and training
Remarkably, Shane has achieved these impressive results while working long hours in the oil industry.
Only recently has he been able to reduce his work hours to focus more on training and recovery, setting up a dedicated strongman gym at home.
He explained: "I basically worked a security role on an oil farm, and I was doing upwards of 84 hours and still trying to coach and train at the same time. I was burning the candle at both ends."
Outside of competition, Shane also works as an online strength coach and maintains an active presence on social media, where he shares training insights and interacts with fans.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Hibs learn Europa League qualifying fate as third round opponents revealed
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HIBS have learned who they will face in the Europa League third round qualifier - should they knock out FC Midtjylland. David Gray's men are up against it in the second round as they face the Danish club who once ended Celtic's chances of qualifying for the Champions League - just four years ago. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 David Gray's man have discovered their fate Credit: Andrew Barr This time they'll return to Scotland - but Edinburgh this time - to take on the Easter Road club to begin their Europa League journey. The two sides will meet this week in Denmark with the first leg taking place on Thursday, followed by the return leg in Leith seven days later. It's a very tricky tie for Hibs which leaves them considered as heavy underdogs to progress. But should they pull it off then things could just get a bit easier for them. That's because the winner takes a seeded spot for the third round qualifier, meaning they have been drawn against an opponent with a LOWER coefficient ranking than Midtjylland. The draw has now been made and the winner of the tie between Hibs and Midtjylland will take on Fredrikstad of Norway in the next stage over two legs. The first leg will be played on Thursday, August 7 with the return leg scheduled for seven days later on August 14. If Hibs/Midtjylland were NOT seeded for the draw then they could have found themselves paired with a major European club such as Braga, PAOK or Legia Warsaw who all enter at this stage. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Two-time world champion fires dig at Luke Littler and Co with damning verdict of darts' ‘boring' new stars
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GARY ANDERSON has called on darts players to 'have fun' again after slamming the sport's new stars as 'boring'. The Flying Scotsman, 54, beat Luke Woodhouse 10-5 in the first round at the World Matchplay on Sunday - but he was far from chipper in his post-match interview. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Anderson misses the "good old days" of darts Credit: Getty 2 Anderson alluded to Littler and the new darts stars not having the same "banter" between them Fresh off his victory, Anderson was asked by Darts Now if him being only the third seed to get through the tournament shows how much the sport has changed, given it used to be all the same faces reaching the later stages before. And the Scotsman took his opportunity to bring up the shift in darts in his response, even calling out younger players for "walking round with 'their bloody headphones in'. He said: 'I was sitting thinking the other day, having a talk with [Ian] White, [Adrian] Lewis, [Phil] Taylor, [Kevin] Painter, we used to sit and have a cracking laugh. 'Nowadays, I'd rather sit like this. Nobody talks to anybody. You don't have a good laugh, you don't have a bit of banter. You need to have a laugh. READ MORE LUKE OUT Luke Littler narrowly misses out on World Matchplay record after thumping win 'Doesn't matter what you do in life, on a building site, office, you've always got to have a laugh. Nowadays, there's not much of that going about.' He continued: 'The youngsters are boring. Absolutely boring. 'You talk to them, they're too busy looking at their phone. 'They're sitting on their phones with their bloody earphones in. Don't talk to you. It's a completely different life.' BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The 2015 and 2016 PDC World Championships winner is competing with Luke Littler and the other new wave of darts players at the World Matchplay Darts. 18-year-old Littler - who narrowly missed out on a competition record over the weekend - has already earned a crazy amount of money since his rise to fame 18 months ago. Luke Littler reveals gruelling new training regime that saw him almost break darts record And while Anderson understands the new stars are making sure they reap the rewards of the rise of darts' popularity, he still wants them to let loose now and again. He said: 'The youngsters, they're here to do their job. They've realised they've got a great chance in life to make a lot of bloody money, buy their first house, then their second house. 'But they need to calm down and think: right, this is my job. That's it.' Anderson's next opponent in the Matchplay will be either Ryan Joyce or Stephen Bunting. He faces the winner of their first-round match, which takes place on Tuesday.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Racehorse owned by TikTok star Big John that costs £60 a share branded ‘terrible' after beating one rival in three races
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RACEHORSE owned by TikTok star Big John has been branded 'terrible' after beating just one rival home in three races. Shares in two-year-old filly Bosh Soldier cost £60 each and give you 0.05 per cent of the horse. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Viral TikTok star Big John is co-owner of a horse punters can buy a share in for £60 - but is yet to return a penny on the track 3 The social media sensation found fame with his massive Chinese orders 3 Bosh Soldier has beaten just one horse in three runs and lost by a combined 97 lengths - but could prove a totally different animal now she qualifies for handicaps Viral sensation Big John, who has found fame for his colossal Chinese orders and 'Bosh!' catchphrase, has been used in promotion of the runner. Wearing ill-fitting silks, a jockey cap and goggles, he appeared in one video championing the filly and said: "I'm Big John and I'm here to see the Bosh Soldier!" But after being bought by 14-time Champion Jumps Trainer Paul Nicholls' daughter Meg for a shade over £24,000, Bosh Soldier is yet to earn a penny on the track. Trained by the respected George Boughey, who won the 1,000 Guineas with Cachet in 2022, Bosh Soldier has raced three times. She finished last of seven on debut at Yarmouth in May when sent off 18-1 under former Champion Apprentice jockey Billy Loughnane. Her next outing came a month later at Chelmsford when she finished last again over six furlongs at odds of 66-1. Then, at Newmarket this month, Bosh Soldier was sent off 150-1 under jockey Grace McEntee for a seven furlong maiden for fillies. She was always behind and finished totally tailed off, beaten a massive 50 lengths with only one horse behind her. Bosh Soldier qualifies for an official rating now and she may well prove a totally different prospect thrown into handicaps. Especially as shrewd trainer Boughey has shown in the past he knows exactly how to place one to win. But Bosh Soldier's performances - and the cost of shares - have caught the attention of some punters. Especially given she has been beaten a combined 97 lengths on her three runs. One punter said she had looked 'terrible' on the track while another wrote on X: "This filly has been running like Big John has been riding her himself." What the owners say about Bosh Soldier Anyone can buy a share in Bosh Soldier, with prices starting at £60. Here's what Racing Club, who run the syndicate, have to say about the horse... Calling all Bosh Soldiers! Introducing our first horse to be based in Newmarket, Bosh Soldier, who is in training with Classic winning trainer George Boughey. This stunning chestnut filly is in collaboration with John Fisher, AKA Big John – hence the name Bosh Soldier! The two-year-old has a striking pedigree, having been sired by Sergei Prokofiev, who was a Group 3 winner and placed in Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Since being sent to stud, he has sired the likes of Arizona Blaze (Group 3 winner and Group 1 runner-up) and Enchanting Empress (Listed winner). Sergei Prokofiev's sire Scat Daddy was a two-time Grade 1 winner and has been a phenomenal source of producing horses with plenty of raw speed. With plenty of pace in her pedigree, we're confident that Bosh Soldier will have the speed to blitz her rivals! Bosh Soldier is our first horse in training in Newmarket, which is considered the 'headquarters' of horse racing, as well as being our first horse with trainer George Boughey. The Group 1-winning trainer has gone from strength to strength since saddling his first winner in 2019, and we cannot wait to see him train Bosh Soldier, who looks set for a productive two-year-old campaign in 2025. The syndicate consists of 2,000 shares, with each share purchased equating to a 0.05 per cent shareholding in Bosh Soldier. In fairness, Racing Club VIP, who run the syndicate, have made clear before each of Bosh Soldier's runs that they have been about her gaining experience. And prior to her most recent outing, Boughey said: "Bosh Soldier is yet to show on the track what she's been showing us at home. "She's still a work in progress, but she's got ability." Syndicates are a great way to get into racing and this year has shown how good the horses can be. Middleham Park Pacing have finished runner-up in the Derby and Irish Derby with Lazy Griff, winning more than £500,000 in the process. While social media star Basher Watts won the French 1,000 Guineas with Shes Perfect - before the result was overturned in the stewards' room. So while Bosh Soldier is yet to return a profit, there is hope for the future at least. And she has some eyecatching entries. Bosh Soldier has been put in the Somerville Auction Stakes at Newmarket on August 23, where victory is worth more than £50,000. And she could line up in October's Tattersalls October Auction Stakes, where a win would net owners £80,000. Either of those would certainly pay for a few takeaways. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
