In 2010, my job was to take people up and down mountains.
Now, I can’t even make it up the stairs.
I led a typical, active childhood, always playing sports, so for me, joining the Army at 16 was a pretty obvious choice. I signed up and left for training, and within the first year, I was based all over the place, from Germany to Cyprus and back to the UK.
As you can imagine, being in the Army, you have to be pretty active. I thrived on competing in military competitions and taking part in any sport I could. After a tour of Iraq, I decided to leave the Army so my wife could settle down herself. She had dreams of going to university and becoming a mental health practitioner. I spent most of my final year in the forces on an adventure training team, helping people climb mountains and go on hikes.
When I left the Army, I struggled. I felt I had no ambition and not much of a life. It was hard adjusting to civilian life. I tried joining different sports teams and clubs but didn’t find that I fit in anywhere. I gained a lot of weight pretty quickly, so I decided to join a gym.
I had always been into weight training but had never ventured down to the dusty side of the dumbbell rack, as being physically fit was more important than being stupidly strong. I think I was boasting to my wife that I was getting really strong and that I might compete in Strongman one day. I didn’t realize an old friend of hers actually competed in Strongman. My wife spoke to this guy, and somehow, I found myself in a Strongman gym and signed up for my first Strongman contest.
My first contest was Swindon’s Strongest Novice, and I think I came in the bottom fifth, but I didn’t care. I was HOOKED!
I competed in any contest that had space and eventually moved up in weight classes, finding myself mixing with the big guys in the open class. My home life was great, too. I have three kids, two of whom were born pre-diagnosis. I was always throwing them around, wrestling, or just playing outside with them. This was the best I had felt since leaving the Army—there was always something to work toward and look forward to.
While training for Wales’ Strongest Man 2012, I’m not sure how I noticed it, but my right arm went numb. At this point, I was training five to six days a week and working a solid 90 hours a week while my wife was in university, so I kind of put it down to being overworked or possibly trapping a nerve in my neck. I thought it would eventually sort itself out. I was basically doing “dude stuff” and thought it was funny, but after about a month, it had spread to basically my whole body.
So, it was time to get it checked out. I went to my doctor, who sent me to Bath Hospital. I was subjected to many different tests, from an MRI to a lumbar puncture (which is a story on its own), and after about three weeks, I had the answer—my numbness and tingling were caused by multiple sclerosis.
I guess I’m pretty lucky that I only had to wait a matter of weeks when some people are left hanging on for many years—but to say you’re lucky to have MS, no matter how long the wait is, is pretty ridiculous.
At this point, I didn’t really know much about MS, which I’m deeply ashamed of, as my uncle had MS and my nan had MS, but it was never at the front of my mind. I didn’t know what to think. I just cried, not even knowing what I was crying for.
Most of my numbness left (but I still have some), and I was able to train and continue competing at a decent level of Strongman for a short time after this. I even qualified for Britain’s Strongest Natural Man after coming runner-up in the South of England’s Strongest Natural Man.
I had a bad relapse not too long after this competition and was struggling on my feet and falling over all the time. It felt like I spent more time on the floor than anywhere else. But I was determined to compete. I had qualified, so why not?
At the finals, I struggled big time. I was failing weights I should have been able to do with ease, and I was falling over a lot! I pretty much didn’t lift anything that day. I decided to walk away from Strongman at this point… well, more like shuffle away, because I could barely even lift my feet off the floor, ha.
It wasn’t long after this that my symptoms started to deteriorate. My legs were in so much pain that I asked a pain clinician if I could have them amputated. He said no. I even had intrusive thoughts about how I could take them off myself. I knew I couldn’t because I can barely hang a picture on a wall, so I had no chance of pulling off a plan like this.
On top of the pain, I had symptoms such as word confusion, which is basically when you can’t pull a sentence together; leg weakness, which meant I needed aids all the time; and spasms. My MS was “upgraded” to secondary progressive, meaning all of my symptoms were here to stay.
I was already on a lot of medication, but I slowly crept my doses up to double and triple what I had been taking, even though I was already on the maximum doses. I felt like I had lost my sense of everything. I couldn’t work the same, I couldn’t train the same, and I wasn’t “Big Dave” anymore. I couldn’t even be the same dad to my kids anymore.
All of my friends were Strongmen, so I couldn’t even get a clean break from the sport. My mood was low, and I wasn’t fun to be around. After living like this for a while, my wife gave me a stern talking-to.
She knew I was depressed, and I eventually gave in and went back to my doctor, who prescribed me antidepressants. Though at this point I felt like a failure, I also knew I would probably lose a lot more than my ability to walk. I don’t know how, but the magic pills were working, and I started to feel better. I still wasn’t comfortable with my MS, but my mood was in a much better place, and I felt I was on the up!
By 2017, I really needed something to pull me out of my boredom, and that’s when I met another ex-soldier who introduced me to Disabled Strongman. At this point, the shame came back because I didn’t know anything about Disabled Strongman, either. I instantly felt the same familiar rush, and I was hooked. Returning to sports had a huge impact on me; it changed my outlook on life. It made me feel safe and like I was still the same person.
In my first year, I became the South of England’s Strongest Disabled Man. I placed third at Britain’s Strongest Disabled Man, and I even set a world record in the seated deadlift, becoming the first person to lift 960 pounds!
All in all, it took until 2019 to fully overcome my self-doubts. The acceptance I felt being a Strongman also played a part in this. I competed in Britain’s Strongest Disabled Man again in 2019 and placed third in 2020.
In 2021, everything changed. I took on a coach—World’s Strongest Man competitor Laurence Shahlaei—and started to take things seriously, as I knew the potential I had in Disabled Strongman. That was the year I won my first national title and became Britain’s Strongest Disabled Man 2021.
As far as I had come, I knew I could go further and reach the absolute top of Disabled Strongman. The plan was to focus on winning Brits in 2021, then Worlds in 2022.
The World’s Strongest Disabled Man competition in 2022 took place in Ontario, Canada, and it was easily the biggest stage I had ever been on. After at least four months of solid training and nutrition, I was feeling ready. Going into the competition, I was focused on the prize, and I can say all that hard work paid off.
After five grueling events, I was crowned the 2022 world champion! The feeling was incredible. My family was watching via livestream back in the UK, so even though I was on my own, everyone was still there in spirit.
My next big thing was being recognized by the global company 5% Nutrition, and I was taken on as a 5% Athlete. To even be noticed by 5% was insane to me! As a disabled athlete, it’s hard to get recognized as a serious athlete. It boosted my confidence as an athlete a massive amount! I felt there was a place in the world for athletes with disabilities and that, with hard work, you can reach high levels.
With the support of 5% Nutrition, I knew I was already in a good place to take on the 2023 Strongman season. I had big plans, which I can happily say I achieved!
In 2023, I managed to set a world record for pulling a 10-ton lorry from my wheelchair. I also won my second Britain’s Strongest Disabled Man title and defended my title as World’s Strongest Disabled Man, making it, all in all, a pretty good year.
Multiple sclerosis is a disease where you never know what the next day will bring. I could wake up tomorrow and be paralyzed everywhere and be forced to quit Strongman again. If this happens, I know I’ll be proud of what I have achieved, and I’ll be able to say I reached the pinnacle of the sport and didn’t stop just because things were difficult at the time.
MS may have changed what I’m capable of, but it never changed who I am. I’ve learned that strength isn’t just about what you can lift—it’s about finding a way forward when life gives you every reason to stop. Whatever comes next, I’ll keep showing up, keep pushing, and keep proving that our limitations don’t have to define us.
