Dr. Douglas Morris Edmunds Ph.D. (29 May 194430 October 2020) was a Scottish Highland Games competitor and

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 ...

. Known as the "Godfather of Strongman", he was a two-time world champion of the

caber toss The caber toss is a traditional Scottish athletic event in which competitors toss a large tapered pole called a "caber" (/ˈkeɪbər/). It is normally practised at the Scottish Highland Games. In Scotland, the caber is usually made from a l ...

and co-founded and acted as referee for 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 Decem ...

competition. He was also a co-founder of the

International Federation of Strength Athletes The International Federation of Strength Athletes (IFSA or IFSA Strongman) was an international governing body for strongman competition. IFSA operated from 1995-2007 and was based in Glasgow, Scotland. History Origins In 1995, David Webster, ...

and Highlander Challenge World Championships. He was the father of strongman

Gregor Edmunds Gregor Edmunds (born 1977) is a Scottish Highland Games competitor and strongman. Gregor is a winner of the World Highland Games Championships, world record holder in Highland games throwing the 28lb weight 95’10.5" Highlander Challenge, and ...

Early life

Edmunds was born on 29 May 1944 in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, to John and Izabella Edmunds, and was named after Douglas Young. One of four children, he lived in the former Netherton army camp. He attended St. Colombia's RC prep school in

Largs Largs ( gd, An Leargaidh Ghallda) is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town mark ...

and St. Joseph's College, Dumfries, where he played rugby for the South of Scotland schools match against Wales and won titles in shot put and discus. He attended

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

before switching to the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...

, where he gained a doctorate in metallurgy in 1969. He worked in

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...

as a mining engineer for three years in the early 1970s before returning to Scotland. After his marriage to Moira Edmunds fell apart, he moved to

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

in 1980 and stayed there until 1982. And then to seirra Leone until 1984 Edmunds worked at Drakemire Dairy Ltd, the family business, between 1982 and 2000, alongside his brother John and brother-in-law Kevin Connelly, eventually becoming the managing director. In 2013, Edmunds was diagnosed with cancer. He died on 30 October 2020. he is survived by his wife mora edmunds 3 children 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild

Strength sports

Edmunds started competing in strength sports professionally in 1975. He won the world

caber tossing The caber toss is a traditional Scottish athletic event in which competitors toss a large tapered pole called a "caber" (/ˈkeɪbər/). It is normally practised at the Scottish Highland Games. In Scotland, the caber is usually made from a l ...

championships in 1976 and 1978. In 1979, he was the only person capable of tossing the Braemar challenge caber. He organised the

World Highland Games Championships The World Highland Games Championships is a well-recognized event in both strength athletics and Highland Games. The championships were organized by David Webster, OBE of Scotland, who still conducts the World Championships. A roll of past comp ...

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

in 1981. In the 1970s he represented Zambia at the World Powerlifting Championships. Edmunds co-founded the

competition in 1977 with David P. Webster and acted as the contest's referee, helping to televise strength sports as entertainment for audiences. Between 1992 and 2004, he was the contest's head referee. In 1995, he co-founded the

, serving as its president. In 2007, Edmunds created the Goddodin Games in a bid to revive the Highland Games and strongman sports, which he felt had become tired. He believed that the sports should be about engaging and entertaining crowds. Edmunds has written three books: ''The Warrior Breed'', ''The World's Greatest Tosser'', and ''Giants and Legends''.

Family

His father, born John Morris, was part of a group of

Scottish nationalists Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. S ...

who plotted to steal the Stone of Destiny from

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...

. He later changed his surname to Edmunds after being arrested for bigamy and to avoid charges of desertion from the army. Edmunds' paternal grandfather, also called John Morris, fought for money in fairground booths. He married Moira Edmunds (née Graham) in 1970, with whom he had two children, and separated in the 1980s. In 1992 he married Linda Edmunds and had another child by her.

, his son by Moira, is a strength sports competitor, former

Scotland'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 ...

and Highland Games champion.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmunds, Douglas 1944 births 2020 deaths Scottish highland games competitors