One of those small businesses operating out of Doncaster is Man Beast Strongman events, a small firm working with some of the strongest men and women in the region to provide amazing feats of strengths, and shows, for events up and down the country.
Man Beast strongman events works directly with England’s strongest man, Guinness World Record holders, regional and local title holders such as Hull, Liverpool, and Sheffield’s strongest men. It also works with some of the biggest names in women strength sports too. Eddie Hall has previously refereed their shows.
Andy Picken, who lives in Scawsby, founded Man Beast strongman events with Rotherham-based two times Guinness World Record holder Mark Anglesea in 2014 growing a local strongman contest in a car park to a show stopper event.
Mark holds the record for carrying a car the furthest distance and the greatest number of times the rear of a car has been lifted clear of the ground.
He said: “We have adapted our events to offer highland games shows, strength challenges as well as traditional world strongman events to really offer the crowd an up close and personal experience of the sport.”
Andy works full time at Chesterfield Royal Hospital as a Workforce Health and Wellbeing Lead, but runs strongman events around his employment taking the shows across the country.
The shows Man Beast produces include the highly popular Peak District Highland Games in Matlock, Yorkshire’s strongest man, Rotherham Highland Games, Norfolk Highland Games and the UK Sstrongman Bus Pull Championship - pulling 20 tonne buses over 20 metres in the quickest time. They also run a tough guy assault course in Sheffield.
Andy commented: “As well as Doncaster being my home it is an ideal location in terms of transport connections, has strongman training gyms nearby with athletes we work with and good value office rents which we have used in the past to operate out of. It certainly punches above its weight and has strong foundations to build on.
“It often comes up in conversation and quite surprises people and my neighbours, many not knowing that England’s strongest man might have walked down their street to attend a meeting or help us plan some of our shows.
“So for us Doncaster serves us well and we back the city bid, believing it will drive inward investment, put local businesses on the map as part of the City status and open up possible new funding opportunities. #GoingForItDN.”
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