Graham Hicks

Last updated

Graham Hicks
Graham Hicks.jpg
Personal information
Nickname
Hicksy
Born (1985-11-15) 15 November 1985 (age 40)
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) [1]
Weight150 kg (331 lb)
Sport
Sport Strongman
Medal record
Strongman
Representing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2012 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2013 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2014 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2015 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2018 World's Strongest Man
10th 2020 World's Strongest Man
Qualified 2023 World's Strongest Man
Europe's Strongest Man
3rd2014 Europe's Strongest Man
5th 2018 Europe's Strongest Man
4th 2020 Europe's Strongest Man
3rd 2021 Europe's Strongest Man
13th 2023 Europe's Strongest Man
Shaw Classic
11th2021 Shaw Classic
Giants Live
6th2014 Hungary
4th2022 World Open
Strongman Champions League
11th2017 SCL FIBO
3rd2017 SCL Overhead
5th2017 SCL Holland
1st2025 SCL Poland
Representing Flag of England.svg  England
Britain's Strongest Man
4th Britain's Strongest Man 2012
5th Britain's Strongest Man 2013
2nd Britain's Strongest Man 2014
8th Britain's Strongest Man 2015
3rd Britain's Strongest Man 2017
2nd Britain's Strongest Man 2018
1st Britain's Strongest Man 2019
3rd Britain's Strongest Man 2021
3rd Britain's Strongest Man 2023
UK's Strongest Man
2nd2019 UK's Strongest Man
Other local competitions
7th2010 North England's u105kg
3rd2010 England's strongest u105kg
6thUK's strongest u105kg
1st2011 Qualifier for Britain's u105kg
5th2011 Qualifier for UK's
1st2011 North England's u105kg
2nd2011 Bodypower Open
1st2011 England's strongest u105kg
1st2011 Britain's Strongest u105kg
1st2011 Team Competition
1st2012 Champion of u105kg
4th2012 Opens Euro Qualifier
1st2012 Northern Qualifier
6th2012 Competition in Marajampoli
4th2013 Opens Euro Qualifier
1st2013 Yorkshire's Strongest Man
Powerlifting
Representing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
2ndBig Dogs 4

Graham Hicks (born 15 November 1985 in Morecambe, Lancashire) [2] is an English strongman and powerlifter.

Contents

A Britain's Strongest Man champion and a two time Europe's Strongest Man bronze medalist, he is one of the best deadlifters in strongman.

Personal life

Graham Hicks was born in 1985 in Morecambe, Lancashire. [2] He was a keen sportsman in his childhood and teens although his main interest was football. He started training in the gym as a bodybuilder and at the age of 25, a friend asked him to try strongman training with him. He caught the strength bug, altered his training to accommodate this, and has since been exceedingly successful.

In 2013, Hicks had a full-time job working as a design support engineer for BAE Systems, starting as an apprentice. [3]

Strongman career

Hicks' career as a strongman began in 2010 as an under 105 kg competitor. He came seventh at the 2010 Northern England u105kg Qualifier and third at the 2010 England's Strongest Man u105 contests.

In 2011, he dominated the u105kg scene and made his first foray into the Open weight class beating people who were considerably heavier than himself.

In 2012, he came in fourth at the qualifier for Europe's Strongest Man. Whilst this didn't earn him a spot at Europe's, he did get an invitation to Britain's Strongest Man where placed fourth. This placing gave him an invitation to the World's Strongest Man competition, held in LA. He managed fourth place in his group and even won his first event, the loading race.

One of Hicks' key strength has been his pressing power. He was the first person in the UK to lift a 200 kg (441 lb) log and has since gone on to press a 211 kg (465 lb) log in World Log Lifting Championships in 2015, sharing the British log record with Eddie Hall. [4]

In 2017 Strongman Champions League Fibo, Hicks broke Krzysztof Radzikowski's Log press (with SCL giant log) world record with 207 kg (456 lb).

In September 2020, Hicks competed at the 2020 Europe's Strongest Man competition and achieved a new British record in the Log Lift, lifting 220 kg (485 lb) and placed fourth in the overall competition. [5] In November 2020, Hicks competed at the 2020 World's Strongest Man competition and qualified for his first final. However, he had to withdraw from the competition due to a bicep tear. [6]

In September 2021, Hicks placed 3rd at the 2021 Europe's Strongest Man competition. [7] This also earned him an invite to the 2022 World's Strongest Man. However, he declined his invitation, as he was not permitted to travel to the United States from the United Kingdom due to his COVID-19 vaccination status. [8] Hicks returned to the WSM competition in 2023, but did not make the final. [9]

In 2023, Hicks won the World Deadlift Championships by lifting 470 kg (1,036 lb) in Cardiff, [10] becoming the seventh highest deadlifter in strongman at that point.

In 2024, Hicks spent much of the year training to beat Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson's 501 kg (1,105 lb) all-time world record deadlift from 2020 during 2024 World Deadlift Championships, however he came in joint-seventh place at the event, only being able to lift 425 kg (937 lb). [11]

Hicks returned to competition in 2025 by placing 6th at the Giants Live organized England's Strongest Man. In August, he continued his comeback by winning his first international competition in six years at the Strongman Champions League Poland. He shared victory in the first event and ultimately finished three points clear of Oskar Ziolkowski. [12]

Personal Records

Strongman

Powerlifting

References

  1. "Graham Hicks". World's Strongest Man . Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Graham Hicks Strongman - Home". Grahamhicks.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  3. "Behind the Typhoon stand the power of our people". www.baesystems.com. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  4. "World Log Lifting Championships 2015". Strongman.org. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  5. 1 2 "The Future Is NOW! Europe's Strongest Man 2020 RESULTS". Giants Live . Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  6. Gutman, Andrew (15 November 2020). "Novikov Secures 2020 World's Strongest Man Victory (Updated)". BarBend. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  7. Lockridge, Roger (5 September 2021). "Luke Stoltman Takes the Title — 2021 Europe's Strongest Man Recap". BarBend. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  8. Blechman, Phil (30 March 2022). "Notable Strongmen Who Declined Their 2022 World's Strongest Man Invitations". BarBend. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  9. "Strongman Archives - 2023 WSM Group 3". strongmanarchives.com. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  10. "Evan Singleton Victorious at 2023 Giants Live World Open | BarBend". 2 September 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  11. "2024 USA Strongman Championships & World Deadlift Championships Results". Fitness Volt. 29 September 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  12. "Strongman Archives - 2025 SCL Poland". www.strongmanarchives.com. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  13. "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 03 - Overhead presses". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  14. "STRENGTH RECORD, Section 09 - Hip lifts & Back carries". www.strengthrecord.com. Retrieved 11 April 2025.