Gregor Edmunds

Gregor Edmunds
Born	Gregor Edmunds (1977-06-06) 6 June 1977 Scotland
Residence	Scotland
Occupation	Highland Games, Strongman
Height	6 ft 4.5 in (1.94 m)
Weight	308 pounds (140 kg)

Competition record
Highland Games
Competitor for  Scotland
IHGF World Highland Games Championships
Champion	IHGF World Highland Games Championships 2007
Highlander Challenge
2nd	Highlander Challenge World Championships 2007
3rd	Highlander Challenge World Championships 2008
Champion	Highlander Challenge World Championships 2011
SHGA Highland Games World Championships
Champion	2010
Colonial Highland Games
Champion	2010
Champion	2011
Champion	2012
Markinch Highland Games
Champion	2011
Braemer Highland Games
Champion	2010
European Highland Games Championships
Champion	2009
Stirling Highland Games
Champion	2010
Scottish Highland Games Championships
Champion	2008
London Scottish Rugby Club International Highland Games
Champion	2010
Carumnock International Highland Games
Champion	2010
Skye Highland Games
Champion	2010
Loch Lomond Highland Games
Champion	2010
Cuper Highland Games
Champion	2010
Scottish Native Heavyweight Championships
Champion	2011
Fergus Highland Games
Champion	2008
Clash of the Celtic Giants
Champion	2004
2nd	2005
Strongman
Competitor for  Scotland
World's Strongest Man
8th	2002 World's Strongest Man
Britain's Strongest Man
2nd	Britain's Strongest Man 2002
2nd	Britain's Strongest Man 2003
Scotland's Strongest Man
1st	Scotland's Strongest Man 2002

Gregor Edmunds (born 1977) is a Scottish Highland Games competitor and strongman. Gregor is a winner of the World Highland Games Championships, Highlander Challenge,^[1] and Scotland's Strongest Man.

Background

Edmunds was born in 1977 to Moira and Douglas Edmunds and grew up in the south of Glasgow.^[2] Strength runs through the male line. His paternal grandfather, John Morris from Fife is said to have been part of a gang of fervent Scottish nationalists, that included the poet Hugh MacDiarmid, which planned to steal the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey. Such was John Morris' strength that he was to be responsible for carrying the stone, and trained for this task by lifting a heavy steel ingot at his work at the Beardmore forge in Glasgow.^[2] The family changed the name from Morris to Edmunds because John was convicted of bigamy and desertion. Gregor Edmunds' great-grandfather, also called John Morris, fought for money in boxing booths. Gregor's father, Douglas was the World Caber Tossing Champion in the 1970s and wrote an autobiography titled "The World's Greatest Tosser". Douglas was also a founder of The World's Strongest Man competition.^[2] Despite being immersed in strength sports Edmunds initially asked for a skateboard for his tenth birthday but was given a shot putt.^{[citation needed]} Following in his father's footsteps, he began training for Highland Games events and at the age of 17 he was Junior Highland Games World Champion. Additionally, he studied and completed an HND in Sports Therapy and in October 2008 began a Degree in Strength and Conditioning Science at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham.^[3]

Career

After winning the Junior Highland Games World Champion he went on to compete in Highland Games events around the world. Along with his father he competed in the Braemar Tossing the Caber event, and they remain the only father and son combination to have done this.^{[citation needed]} In 2007 he became World Highland Games Champion,^[2] ending a five-year American hold on that title. Edmunds also competed successfully in strongman competitions, winning the title of Scotland's Strongest Man in 2002 and going on to compete at the World's Strongest Man. He was also second in Britain's Strongest Man in 2002 and 2003.

Gregor set an SHGA Highland Games world record in the 28 lb. weight for distance at the 2011 Markinch Highland Games on 5 June 2011.^[4] His world record throw was 95'10", a full 3'5" further than the previous world record.^[4] This throw also broke the American record by 1'4".^[4]

Gregor won the 2011 Highlander Challenge on 18 June 2011.^[1]

The Highlander Challenge

The lack of young Scottish Highland Games competitors led Edmunds and his father to organise the Highlander Challenge. He is quoted as saying: "When I go over to America, I'm up against ex-Olympians, really good sportsmen, and here I might be competing against some guy standing about and smoking a cigarette who then has a throw against me. That's not pushing me and it's not going to bring people into the sport. If we can create something spectacular, though, the younger ones will aspire to that. It's like great footballers – everyone wants to wear their shirt. That's what we want to do with the Highlander Challenge. I'd love to be someone's hero."^[2] In 2007 the Challenge was successful enough to spawn a larger, televised event in 2008 at Scone Palace.

Future

A lack of money in the sport has led to him studying strength and conditioning science in the hope of creating a future career as an equestrian massage expert. "You can make a lot of money because it's very difficult to do. You need big strong hands to massage a horse." "And," Gregor says with a laugh, "horses can't complain if you do a crap job."^[2]

Personal life

Until his studies took him south, Edmunds lived in Glasgow. For three years he lived in Finland with Heini Koivuniemi, a World's Strongest Woman competitor whom he met at the Killin Highland Games.^[2]

References