By 1983 he was officially the planet’s strongest guy but the following year shed the title to Jón Páll Sigmarsson.

But Geoff swore: “I’ll be back.” Another yr he took the title and roared: “The King has not missing his crown!”

Just one explained on X: “I watched him being a young man — my sincerest ­condolences to his friends and family, we’ll skip you Geoff.”

For a strongman, Capes grew to become a home name in Britain and many elements of the whole world.[seventeen] He was especially known for his unbelievable hand and arm toughness, easily tearing London phone directories in 50 % and bending rolled steel bars measuring above 1 inch in diameter, and three toes in duration. Capes turned fully Specialist in 1980, the Olympics in Moscow staying his very last celebration as an beginner athlete.

He stated: “Geoff Capes served like a law enforcement officer below from 1969. His stature and Exercise along with his heat individual type, led him The natural way to become the pressure’s PT Teacher and a lot of the youthful law enforcement cadets of the 1970s bear in mind him nicely with large fondness.

Along with the sheer quantity of meals he needed to eat, the price of all this wasn't That which you'd get in touch with cheap, either.

In the course of tea breaks within the haulier's lawn, he produced his arm strength by lifting two 4-stone weights overhead. He also made a makeshift gymnasium with two pals.[8] All through this time, he joined an area athletics club, the place he fulfilled Stuart Storey, a hurdler who later competed during the 1968 Olympics. Capes mentioned that Storey assisted him flip his lifestyle around and guided him through his early times in athletics. Storey encouraged him to test shot place and take part in competitions. Missing the implies to buy suitable apparel, Capes attended occasions donning garments remaining driving by his mother's people once they died.[6] His to start with try at competitive shot-Placing finished with him placing next-to-previous within the finals of the 1964 All England Universities Athletics Championships.[8]

He also consumed two tins of ­pilchards, a single in addition to a fifty percent kilos of cottage cheese, a packet of cereal, two large loaves of bread by using a pound of butter. All washed down using a pint of orange juice and 7 pints of milk.

Capes was born in Lincolnshire in 1949 and was the seventh of nine kids. Coming from an impoverished history, he went on to become Among the most well-known and recognisable faces in Britain over the nineteen seventies and 1980s.

The champion made his identify as Britain's best ever shot-putter, continue to Keeping the region's record forty four yrs soon after he set it. He died aged seventy five previously this week along with his family members asserting his Demise yesterday.

Russell Whitworth said: “Have know Geoff all my existence given that he grew up alongside my brother and our mom and dad labored collectively. Lots of fun at pounds lifting club early years. Hardly ever read more forgot his Holbeach roots. RIP major gentleman.”

Geoff was well known from the regional place As well as in 2019 was the guest of honour at an area fitness center, the Rhinos in Stamford, exactly where he was photographed on a mobility scooter laughing

"They carry out my gentler facet." At the height of his breeding occupation, he owned above 300 budgies. He built a little wooden aviary powering his house and organized foods for them Every single morning.[6] Capes frequently appeared inside the pages of Cage & Aviary Birds. He took up the passion every time a policeman, acquiring chatted for an hour or so to a person he needed to arrest for non-payment of a good.[24]

It includes a weighty coronary heart to announce the loss of an enormous in toughness sporting activities, our fantastic Good friend in Best Strongman, Geoff Capes.