Strongman Mitchell Hooper reveals an epic body transformation from skinny 90kg marathoner to 130kg colossus
Reigning World’s Strongest Man Champion Mitchell Hooper is something of an athletic jack of all trades.
The 27-year-old Canadian, nicknamed The Moose, won his first WSM title in April in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on his second attempt.
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But strongman wasn’t always Hooper’s sport of choice.
The Ontario-born former University of Guelph football player, who weighed 250 pounds at the time, dabbled in bodybuilding, according to his website.
At that point, he dropped to 90 kg (198.4 pounds), according to his Instagram.
Hooper then switched to a marathon runner and recorded a personal best of 3:24 while weighing 100 kg (220.5 pounds).
During this time, he worked as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Canadian professional basketball team, the KW Titans.
A career change ensued as Hooper went Down Under to pursue a Masters in Exercise Physiology in Sydney, Australia after realizing he “wanted something more out of life”.
It was here that he began his weightlifting journey, first as a powerlifter, which took his weight back up to 115 kg (253.5 pounds).
After Hooper became a national champion as a powerlifter, he transitioned to strongman.
And for Hooper, this journey has given him the knowledge and experience to better serve others.
Speaking to The US Sun in January, he explained: “I tell people with unique situations how to train every day and I need to be able to experience those things for myself.
“Whether it’s starting out in running or strength training, there’s no really deep passion for either of them. I just think I have a professional obligation to feel what they’re going to feel.”
Currently weighing 140 kg (308.6 pounds), Hooper has become a dominant force in the sport, according to Giants Live.
After finishing eighth in his first professional competition, WSM 2022, Hooper has since finished on the podium at all nine events.
That includes wins in all three events he’s competed in that year to make five titles total.
But unlike his previous ventures, Hooper seems determined to stay with Strongman a little longer.
When asked by The US Sun after his WSM win if he would try to retain the title in 2024, he simply replied: “We will try.”
He later explained, “I’ll keep doing it as long as I enjoy it.
“As long as this community stays the same, it’s going to be pretty hard to leave.
“It’s such a special group of guys, such a special community from top to bottom. So it’s very difficult to predict that this will end any time soon.”
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