Plasterer Mark Felix works hard and, when he’s taking part in Strong Man events, plays even harder. Professional Builder’s Lee Jones talks the tradesman about one of the sport’s longest running and most successful careers.
For most spreaders waving at walls all day would be exercise enough but one Blackburn-based tradesman is made of much sturdier stuff. For the past 19 years Mark Felix has combined a life on the tools with competing in World’s Strongest Man events and is now a legend of the sport. In fact, with over 100 competitions under his belt, and counting, Mark is one of its most prolific contestants and a World’s Strongest Man ‘hall of famer’.
“I’ve always trained throughout my life and have been involved in bodybuilding from an early age but came to Strong Man events relatively late in life,” Mark reveals. “In fact, it was when the guys that owned a gym that I frequented organised a strong man competition. I was invited just to make up the numbers and I actually came third. It was obvious I had a talent for it and wanted to see how far I could take it.”
Whilst his introduction to the sport may have been by chance, his longevity in the discipline has been thanks to a lifetime of dedication, which includes working out for at least four evenings a week. All that is on top of plying one of the most physically demanding of the industry’s trades – a double life which is fuelled by a high protein diet that consists of a whopping 7,500 calories a day.
“This year was my 17th World’s Strongest Man appearance,” continues the 56-year-old. “It certainly gets tougher as you get older, but it’s about training smart as well as hard. There’s no doubt that it’s difficult working and competing because plastering itself puts a lot of pressure on the joints, particularly the shoulders. After work I go home to change, and I’m straight out again to the gym. Each session will become more intense in the run up to a tournament, and the work I do to prepare varies on what events are coming up.”
Mark made his World’s Strongest Man debut in the Bahamas in 2004 and since then the achievements and accolades have kept coming. “I came fourth in the event in 2006,” he recalls proudly, “and over my career have broken world records in the Cannonball Hold, Hercules Hold [the two pillars event pictured below], Rolling Thunder, a single handed deadlift with a revolving handle – Captain of Crush – Silver Bullet, which is a squeezing grip test, and the Vice Grip Viking Challenge. I’ve also been unbeaten for the last seven years in deadlift reps.”
Indeed, known as the ‘The Grip King’ the Lancashire plasterer excels at anything that requires a firm hold. Not only that, but he’s now the oldest competitor in the World’s Strongest Man and has appeared in the most individual competitions. Add to that second-place finishes in both Britain’s Strongest Man and Europe’s Strongest Man and the remarkable longevity of this elite athlete and tradesman’s career is put into context.
“The reason I’ve kept going for so long is because I love it,” concludes Mark. “I’ve had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places and have made lifelong friends. I listen to my body and at the moment I’m feeling great – as long as that’s the case I’ll keep going.”
It’s the ‘Work Strong’ message that Mark epitomises that has led Regatta Professional to enlist him as the face of its workwear range. “As a plasterer by day, and one of the most recognisable faces of Strong Man, Mark always needs workwear as tough as him,” explains Megan Pacey, Marketing Manager for the brand. “We’ve loved watching him for years and the partnership marks a new beginning for us as a brand as we welcome Mark as our first ever ambassador. The collection has been created with Mark’s day-job in mind and he’s done the hard graft of putting each piece through its paces to make sure it fits the bill for tradies across the UK. The range is not only durable but affordable too and we’re excited to unveil the full collection soon.”
For further information on Regatta Professional visit https://www.regatta.com/collections/mark-felix/
