When Eddie Jo Williams — better known as “Big Eddie” — stepped into his first strongman competition, he had no training, no coaching, and no idea he was about to change his life.
It’s the kind of underdog origin story you’d expect from a Netflix series. And fittingly, Williams has already starred in one — Physical: 100 Asia, where the 190kg athlete represented Australia against some of the strongest and most athletic contenders across the continent.
Born into a Sāmoan family in Māngere, South Auckland, Williams’ story isn’t just about lifting stones and flipping tyres. It’s about faith, family, and community — values that have guided him since childhood.
Speaking on Pacific Huddle with Tuilagi William Leolahi, Williams said he stumbled into strongman while trying to get fit after rugby. But at first, he didn’t see anyone like him in the gym.
“No one [looked] like me,” he said, per PMN.co.nz. “A friend of mine told me about strongman. I looked into it and I was like, ‘whoa, those dudes look like me and they’re doing things that I can do myself.’”
He became the “go-to guy” for helping family and friends move houses — unknowingly training the way strongmen have for generations. What followed was a meteoric rise: crowned Australia’s Strongest Man in 2017 and 2018, sixth at the 2022 Giants Live Strongman Classic in London, and even singing live at the Royal Albert Hall during that same event.
“I did my first competition and I ended up winning it. I was like, ‘okay, if I can win my first competition with no training, no experience, imagine what I can do if I apply myself and learn the techniques?’” Williams recalled.
Singing, strength, and Schwarzenegger
If that combination sounds unusual, that’s because it is. Before dedicating himself to lifting, Williams spent ten years as a wedding singer. Some may even remember his incredible appearance on Australia’s Got Talent, where he wowed the judges after carrying Atlas stones onto the stage. Now, he’s a strongman with a mic — known to break into soulful performances between deadlifts.
His voice and power have taken him to surreal places, from meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger to starring in a viral MrBeast video that’s clocked over 100 million views. Check it out below:
“So Mr Beast was really cool. I was over at a competition and then we got asked to do a video with him. My kids love him to bits, they love his content. Again, another God moment. [God] makes room for you at tables that you feel like you don’t deserve,” Williams said.
Built On Faith
Williams makes no secret of where he draws his strength. His faith, he says, is at the centre of everything.
“God revealing that, ‘I’ve made you strong for a reason but I’ve also made you gentle and caring’, all the stuff that doesn’t normally come with being an alpha,” he shared. “Breaking cycles, breaking generational curses that have always hovered over our people.”
He added: “A picture I love is that God was the lion and he was also the lamb. I love seeing that picture because I can be a beast when it comes to competing, but then I can be the lamb when I need to talk to my daughter, talk to my sons and discipline them and get to their level.”
A New Kind Of Beast
Now based in Adelaide, Williams is taking his talents to the small screen again — this time joining Eddie Hall’s Battle of the Beasts, a wild new TV show filmed in Malta.
Hosted by Hall, the 2017 World’s Strongest Man, and featuring a cast of giants including Mitchell Hooper, Tom Stoltman, Gavin Bilton, Trey Mitchell, and more, the series promises to push the world’s strongest athletes beyond their limits with everything from sumo wrestling to eating challenges.
Filmed in front of a live audience, Battle of the Beasts is set to hit screens next summer — with filming already wrapped.
Hall promises it will “transform” the sport of strongman, but viewers will have to wait and see if Williams was able to come out on top.
Giving Back To The Pacific
Despite his global profile, Williams hasn’t forgotten where he came from. He works with Misa Peter Anae, President of Strongman Sāmoa, to grow the sport in the islands and create opportunities for the next generation of Pacific athletes.
His mission, he says, is simple: faith, family, and legacy.
“I just want to inspire people to give it a go because that’s the hardest thing with Islanders, they won’t step out in faith until someone else does it. If I can leave you with anything, it is, be who you needed when you were younger.”
For Williams, that legacy started the day he walked into his first competition — no training, no experience, and a whole lot of faith.
Featured image credit: Instagram/eddiejowilliams
