Stefán Karel Torfason (born 20 April 1994) is an Icelandic

Strongman Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...

and a former

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. Stefán became the

Iceland's Strongest Man Strength athletics in Iceland refers to the participation of Icelandic competitors and holding national strongman competitions. The sport's roots have a long and ancient history going back to – 1056, with sagas about Orm Storolfsson, Finnbogi ...

in 2021 and had 6 podium finishes in national strongman circuit. Prior to his strongman career, he was a standout basketball player and a member of the Icelandic national basketball team.

Biography

Stefán was born in

Akureyri Akureyri (, ) is a town in northern Iceland, the country's fifth most populous Municipalities of Iceland, municipality (under the official name of Akureyrarbær , 'town of Akureyri') and the largest outside the Capital Region (Iceland), Capital R ...

. His father Torfi Ólafsson is a former Icelandic strongman and fellow Iceland's Strongest Man champion. Stefán stands and weighed during his strongman peak.

Basketball career

Stefán began at early age competing in basketball for his local club

Þór Akureyri Íþróttafélagið Þór (, ), commonly known as Þór Akureyri (), or simply Þór or Thór, is a multi-sport club in Akureyri, in the north of Iceland. It features departments in basketball, football, handball and taekwondo. Its main rival is ...

. He joined Snæfell in

Stykkishólmur Stykkishólmur () is a town and municipality situated in the western part of Iceland, in the northern part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It is a center of services and commerce for the area. Most of the people make their living from fishing and ...

in 2010 and ÍR in 2016. In 2013, Stefán played 5 games for the Icelandic national basketball team. He was forced to retire from basketball in 2016 after his fourth concussion on doctors recommendation.

Strongman career

Following his retirement from basketball, Stefán focused to become a strongman like his father. He started at 2017 Ultimate Strongman Junior World Championships and gradually excelled in the national circuit, emerging third at 2020 Iceland's Strongest Viking and second at 2020 Strongest Man in Iceland. The following year he won 2021 Iceland's Strongest Man becoming the 12th man (and 10th Icelander) to win the title. In his inaugural international competition, he placed sixth at 2022

Magnús Ver Magnússon Strongman Classic Magnús Ver Magnússon Strongman Classic is a strongman competition run and hosted by four-times World's Strongest Man champion Magnús Ver Magnússon. Since its inception in 2021, the competition has been held every November, outdoors with th ...

Personal records

Deadlift The deadlift is a strength training exercise in which a weight-loaded barbell is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, with the torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting ...

– (2023 Strongest Man in Iceland) *Log press – (2023 Iceland's Strongest Viking) *Dumbbell press – x 5 reps (2022 Iceland's Strongest Viking) *

Húsafell Stone The Húsafell Stone is a legendary lifting stone weighing 186 kg (410 lb) located in a west country farming estate in Húsafell, Iceland about northeast of Reykjavík. The slightly triangular, slab shaped stone is kept at a Pen (enclos ...

carry – for (2022 Magnús Ver Magnússon Strongman Classic) *

Thor's Hammer Thor (from ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, and fertility. Beside ...

toss – for (2022 Magnús Ver Magnússon Strongman Classic) (World Record)

References

External links

Basketball statistics
at

Icelandic Basketball Association The Icelandic Basketball Association (''Icelandic:Körfuknattleikssamband Íslands - KKÍ'') is the national governing body of basketball in Iceland and is a member of the continental association FIBA Europe and the global International Basketbal ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torfason, Stefan 1994 births Living people Stefan Karel Torfason Stefan Karel Torfason Stefan Karel Torfason Stefan Karel Torfason Stefan Karel Torfason Stefan Karel Torfason Stefan Karel Torfason Stefan Karel Torfason 21st-century Icelandic sportsmen