A FORMER Old Hall resident has been crowned as North Somerset’s Strongest Man in the first staging of the competition.

Dan Stockley, who now lives in Bridgewater in Somerset, moved to the area while serving in the armed forces.

And the 28-year-old who now works in demolition says it feels great to have won the title in what is his first competition.

“It feels absolutely amazing to be named North Somerset’s Strongest Man,” said Dan.

“I always thought I would do ok in the competition, but I never thought I would go on and win it.

“Training in the gym started on and off when I was 14, but only consistently since last May.

“I can definitely say it has paid off though with me winning this competition.”

Dan was not the only one delighted to come out on top in Somerset, with his family back here in Warrington all proud of his achievement.

“He took a keen interest in these sort of events in the past couple of years but this is the first competition he has entered,” said his mother Sarah.

“All the family are just made up and overwhelmed that he has actually won it.

“We knew he was good and would give it his best effort, but to actually go out and win on his first attempt is amazing.

“His dad and brothers were quite emotional when they found out and we are all really proud of him.”

To win the overall crown, Dan had to take part in some gruelling events including deadlifting a car, tossing sandbags, pulling a vehicle and flipping a tractor tyre.

He said that his intense training schedule helped to prepare him for the competition and that performing on the big stage was the hardest part.

“I trained between five and six times a week for four months going into the tournament,” he said.

“Each session focused on a different event and the sessions usually lasted for about four or five hours.

“The hardest part for me by far was having to do the events in front of a crowd, as I don't particularly like a lot of attention.

“Once I had got the first event out of the way though, I was able to crack on and get stuck in.”

Dan is not resting on his laurels though, and is already in training for his next competition in the summer.

“My next tournament will be in Manchester in August when I compete in the Xploape League qualifiers,” he added.

“That will be another tough test, but I am full of confidence after winning this competition.

“The ultimately goal I would like to achieve is to be crowned England's Strongest Man or maybe even Britain's Strongest Man in the future.”