Laurence Shahlaei

Shahlaei was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire,[2] the son of an Iranian father from Kermanshah and an English mother from Newcastle upon Tyne. He attended Balcarras School, and later moved to Stroud, Gloucestershire.[2]

Shahlaei started strongman training in 2005 and entered his first novice competition that year, where he finished 8th. Within two years, he entered his first Britain's Strongest Man ("BSM"), having won the Midlands qualifier. In that competition, he made a huge impact, making it to the final, only to tear his biceps in the tyre flip, which forced him to withdraw. He won the Midlands qualifier again in 2008, and once again made the final, this time finishing 4th behind Jimmy Marku, Terry Hollands, and Mark Felix. This placing landed him an invite to the World's Strongest Man in 2008. He did not make the final.

In 2009, four years after beginning strongman, he became the UKSC Midlands Strongest Man and also won the UKSC England's Strongest Man, citing this, alongside his WSM 2008 squat win, as the greatest moment of his career (the WSM qualifier titled "England's Strongest Man", which replaced the Britain's Strongest Man contest in 2009, was won by Terry Hollands and Shahlaei did not compete in that). His favourite strongman event is the farmer's walk because it is a good test of natural strength, whereas his least favourite strongman event is the Atlas stones. Shahlaei has said that he admires Bill Kazmaier and Vasyl Virastyuk for their intensity and belief in themselves, qualities he seeks to emulate, and that he believes the greatest strength athlete of all time is Zydrunas Savickas.

Laurence competed in World's Ultimate Strongman in Dubai at the Bab al-Shams Arena in October 2018.

Shahlaei has said that he would like to set up a sports related business in the future, but his dream is to become an actor. He had a role in The Golden Compass (2007).

On 19 August 2011, Shahlaei competed on Deal or No Deal, where he won £20,000 and lifted presenter Noel Edmonds up above his head.

In August 2012, Shahlaei opened a personal training business in Swindon, Wiltshire.[3] Laurence has since written various training programmes which he sells via his website, as well as various other merchandise labelled 'Team Loz'.

On 2 May 2020, Shahlaei was the official commentator on Hafthor Bjornsson's 501 kg successful world record deadlift attempt done in Iceland during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic.[4]

In powerlifting

• Bench press max: 230 kg
• Squat max: 380 kg
• Deadlift max: 385 kg

In strongman

• Squat: 320 kg 12 reps
• Log: 190 kg
• Axle: 205 kg
• Deadlift: 435 kg

Shahlaei has two daughters named Ava and Alexa, whom he once described as his greatest achievements. He and his wife, Liz, live in Swindon, Wiltshire.[5]

• Profile on Official WSM site