There’s a moment in every athlete’s journey where the focus shifts from personal achievement to something bigger. For Gary Clarke, that moment came long after he had already pushed his own limits.
Clarke, widely recognised as the UK’s first disabled Strongman, started the British Disabled Strongman Competition in 2015.
Born three months prematurely, Clarke was starved of oxygen — a traumatic start that left him with cerebral palsy. His early years were shaped by intensive physiotherapy, eventually allowing him to walk with crutches. But even then, his mindset was already set.
He refused to accept limits.
That mentality followed him into the gym, where even basic access presented challenges.
“When I started doing weights, the gym was up a set of stairs so I found a way to get up on the crutches. It was the warm up I think,” he said, per BBC News.
What began as determination quickly evolved into something much bigger. Clarke progressed into powerlifting and bench pressing, eventually representing Great Britain. But it was a trip to Iceland in 2011 that truly changed the trajectory of his journey.
“It was unchartered territory,” he said. “It was tough. I remember doing the van pull on paving slabs that weren’t level and the tyres were let down as well.”
That experience opened his eyes — not just to the challenges of disabled strongman competition, but to the lack of structured opportunities in the UK.
So he built one.
The British Disabled Strongman Competition was created to give athletes a platform, and over the years, it grew into a defining event in the sport – though sadly, it would appear as if the competition came to a close in 2025 due to a lack of funding.
Clarke said: “The lifting has helped with my cerebral palsy 100% and I will always lift a barbell of some description. It’s ingrained in me… and it just makes sense to me.”
That connection to the sport runs deeper than medals or milestones. It’s about transformation — both physical and mental — and ensuring others have access to the same life-changing benefits.
Competing in the seated class, Clarke relies solely on his upper body due to restricted use of his limbs. It’s a format that demands not only strength, but precision and resilience — something he’s spent decades refining.
Becoming the first person to represent Great Britain in this discipline remains one of his proudest achievements.
He said he is “very proud”.
But Clarke is quick to shut down any suggestion that disabled Strongman is anything less than elite-level competition.
“The thing I want to get across is it’s not a tokenism thing, it’s hard,” he added.
After more than 20 years in the sport, his approach has evolved. Gone are the days of relentless, all-out training. Now, it’s about efficiency, focus, and longevity.
“I train specifically for competitions and am more selective,” he said.
It’s a mindset shaped by experience — and one he hopes the next generation will get the chance to adopt.
Featured image credit: Gary Clarke / Instagram
