Darren Sadler (born 22 March 1980) is a British former
strongman
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or similar circus performers who performed feats of strength. More recently, strength athletics, also known as strongman competitions, have grown in popularity. Thes ...
competitor, winner of the World Strongman Challenge in the under 105 kg category, and notable for being a repeat competitor at the
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is an international Strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decembe ...
despite his comparatively small stature.
Early life
Darren Sadler was born on 22 March 1980 in
Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge () is a town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is north-west of the county town of York. Until a bypass was built the town lay on the mai ...
and attended
Boroughbridge High School
Boroughbridge High School is a mixed, nonselective, state secondary school in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, England.
The school was awarded arts specialist status in September 2003. .
Strongman career
Sadler began training in the gym at the age of seventeen, but it was not until he was eighteen when he was approached by former World's Strongest Man competitor,
Dave Warner,
that he began to compete in strongman competitions.
In 2009, Sadler said that "''At first I was the youngest and the lightest person, but I did work at it. Now I come in the top few in the country every year.''"
However, when the
IFSA showcased a light division class for strongmen in the mid-2000s, Sadler rose to eminence in the field.
In 2005, Sadler not only won the English under 105 kg championships, but went on to place first in the world championships in 2006.
In 2006, still in the light division, he won the IFSA World Strongman Challenge.
Such was his ability that despite his weight and height, in a sport where men of 6' 1" have been described as "short", he was invited to compete in the main division and began to rise up the rankings against the very best in the world.
In 2006, Sadler secured an invite to the
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is an international Strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decembe ...
(WSM), the premier strength athletics event. Here, he was noted for producing ''"unbelievable performances for a guy his size."'' In 2007, he came third in the Britain's Strongest Man finals after
Terry Hollands
Terry Hollands (born 6 June 1979) is a British bodybuilder and the winner of the 2bros Pro Luke Sandoe Classic Beginners Class 2019 bodybuilding championships. Hollands was also a former strongman competitor and winner of Britain's Strongest Ma ...
and
Mark Felix
Mark Felix (born 17 April 1966) is a Grenadian-English strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition. He has competed at a record 17 World's Strongest Man contests, reaching the finals three times. He is the ...
, who had both been in the top four athletes in the world at one stage. He was again invited to the WSM and was just short of making it into the top ten finalists. He has been quoted as saying his greatest achievement in strongman is qualifying for the 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010 WSM competitions.
In 2008, at the
Britain's Strongest Man finals where Sadler was hoping to improve on his third-place finish in 2007, he tore a hamstring. This led to a self-imposed absence in 2008, in which time he concentrated on setting up a business.
However, a third invite to WSM was secured with a third-place finish in the WSM qualifying version of
England's Strongest Man
Strength athletics in the United Kingdom and Ireland has a long history going back many centuries before the televisation of strongman competitions in the 1970s. The ancient heritage of the sport in the United Kingdom and Ireland lies in a number ...
,
which replaced the
Britain's Strongest Man competition in 2009 as a WSM qualifier, the latter not being held.
Sadler's favourite event is the Conan's Wheel, with his least favourite being the Deadlift Hold.
Additionally, his height hinders his performance in the Atlas Stones. Sadler has said that of the former greats he most admires
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson (28 April 1960 – 16 January 1993) was an Icelandic strongman, powerlifter and bodybuilder who was the first man to win the World's Stronge ...
, and
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski (; born 7 February 1977), also known as "Pudzian" and "Dominator", is a Polish entrepreneur, mixed martial artist and former strongman competitor. With 43 international victories at a record 70% winning percentage ...
as the current athlete for whom he has most admiration, along with
Derek Poundstone.
Outside of strongman
In 2008, Sadler bought a gym in his hometown of Boroughbridge. He opened it in 2008 under the name of Absolute Fitness, and although his name has an attraction for "musclemen and fitness fanatics", he stressed that he wanted it to be an all-round gym for all ages and sexes.
He has referred to his business and family as his greatest personal achievements.
General stats
*Squat: 380 kg
*Deadlift: 400 kg
References
External links
Profile on Official WSM site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sadler, Darren
1980 births
Living people
English strength athletes