Thorold resident Wes Derwinsky is one step closer to becoming Canada’s Strongest Man, as he was crowned Eastern Canada's Strongest Man Champion three weeks ago in Quebec.
“This one was a qualifier for Canada’s Strongest Man which is happening next week,” says Derwinsky, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “I feel okay. I’m ready for the show. I want to get there and get started.”
Derwinsky is the first person to receive the Eastern Canada's Strongest Man title.
“Each province used to have a [title] but we’re kind of short on competitors in recent years,” Derwinsky says. “COVID kind of retired a bunch of guys so they decided to amalgamate Ontario all the way over to the East coast. It’s all one show now.”
To claim the title, Derwinksy had to complete all sorts of challenges, like lifting a car.
“That was probably the hardest one,” he says. “It was 880 pounds and we did it for repetitions and I got ten.”
Derwinsky doesn’t just have his eyes on the Canadian title. Last week, he competed in the Shaw Classic in Denver, Colorado.
“I did good,” he says. “I took third overall.”
To keep up with the competition, Derwinsky keeps to a rigorous training schedule.
“I train five days a week—four days during the week and one on the weekend,” Derwinsky says. “It’s fairly intense. [A training session] is anywhere from two to three hours long.”
Derwinsky says that he’s become friends with the other guys competing at the championships.
“It’s a pretty close-knit group,” he says. “We’re all pretty good friends. We’re friendly to each other but we also want to beat each other. We don’t hold back. It’s very competitive.”
In a week Derwinsky will head over to Quebec City where he will compete in ten events over three days to hopefully win the title of Canada’s Strongest Man.
As to what keeps him going?
“Just trying to be number one,” Derwinsky says. “To have the title of the strongest man and then move on to Worlds and try to move my way up there.”
