PROFILES IN POWER #2: Neil Tkatchuk
Neil Tkatchuk, age 28, of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, has a brother named Marc and a wife named Erika. He trains at – and is co-owner/operator of – Trench Fitness and has an alphabet soup of degrees including his Bachelors in Kinesiology majoring in Fitness and Lifestyle, CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist), CPT (Certified Personal Trainer through CSEP), and CISSN (Certified Sports Nutritionist).
Profiles in Power: Kaden “Abomination” Vu
Albany, New York
Jerry Pritchett
Second Arnold Classic appearance
Jerry began his strength career in powerlifting at the age of 15. Prior to his involvement in strongman contests, Jerry was a Sprint Car driver and still enjoys racing in his spare time.
Robert Oberst
First Arnold Classic appearance
Robert Oberst is a relative newcomer to the sport of strongman having competed in his first contest as a pro only one and a half years ago. Once turning pro, however, Oberst has quickly made his way into the higher ranks of the sport with an impressive win at the MetRx Odd Haugen Strength Challenge last summer and a top ten finish in the 2013 World's Strongest Man.
Dimitar Savatinov
First Arnold Classic appearance
Dimitar worked as a strongman for a Bulgarian Acrobatic Teeterboard Act and Ringling Brothers Circus before competing in strength events. "My focus now is on strength, and I'm thrilled to have made it to the Arnold Strongman Classic this year," said Dimitar.
Krzysztof Radzikowski
Second Arnold Classic appearance
"My dream is to be considered the strongest man in the world... that is the dream of all strongmen. I know I am not as large as some of the top men, but I love to train, and even though this is a very hard sport, with very hard training you can succeed."
Hafthor Bjornsson
Third-year competitor at the Arnold Classic
Hafthor began competing in strongman after an injury to his ankle ended his basketball career. In his first contest, with no real training, Hafthor won one event and made an Icelandic record in stone carrying. After this auspicious beginning, Hafthor was hooked and began training solely for strongman competitions. Since 2009, he has won seven competitions.
Vytautas Lalas
Second-year competitor at the Arnold Classic
Vytautas Lalas, the stoutly-built Lithuanian, was a surprise victor at the 2013 Arnold Strongman Classic, beating out gargantuan Brian Shaw and a strong field of competitors to take home his first Louis Cyr trophy.
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