Canada's first World's Strongest Man Champion Mitchell Hooper reflects on 'life-changing' win
Michael Hansen
Published Sep 27, 2026
MITCHELL Hooper has made history as the first Canadian to win the World's Strongest Man title.
The 2023 Champion faced off stiff competition from the likes of Great Britain's Tom Stoltman and Ukraine's Oleksii Novikov to bring the trophy home in what was just his second appearance at the competition.
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Speaking to The U.S. Sun following his victory in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 27-year-old Hooper admitted the win was 'life-changing,' and described being the first Canadian to win the title as "amazing."
He said: "It's off the back of so many people who have sacrificed so much for the good of the sport.
"And hopefully, J.F. Carron, Hugo Girard, Maxime Boudreault, everyone who's come before in Canada knows that they've played a role in bringing me up."
He continued: "It's something that changes your life.
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"So, I look forward to using that for a greater purpose. And yeah, it's gonna take a long time to sink in."
And while some competitors would take this opportunity to splash out on a lavish night out or vacation, Hooper is planning simply for a "quiet" celebration.
He said: "My brain's tired, my body's tired.
"Maybe just a couple of beers and hang out with all the guys and 29 of my best friends that I'm not gonna see for a little while now."
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As for his future, Hooper has no plans on stepping away any time soon and when asked if he would look to make it two in a row come 2024, he responded simply: "We'll try."
"I'm gonna stick around as long as I'm enjoying myself," he said.
"As long as this community stays the same it's gonna be pretty hard to leave.
"It's such a special group of guys, such a special community from top to bottom. So, it's very hard to see that ending any time soon."
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