Inspired by watching the annual World's Strongest Man on television at Christmas, a strongman athlete from Ipswich has gone on to be one of the strongest in Britain.
Corey Hamblet began competing in 2023 after deciding to test himself in the sport he had quickly fallen in love with.
At the time, Mr Hamblet weighed around 120kg and admits his lifestyle was far from healthy, joking that eating “a cheesecake a day” was part of his routine before strongman training transformed both his fitness and outlook.
His first season brought immediate success as he finished third at Colchester’s Strongest Man before claiming runner-up spots at Ipswich’s Strongest Man and Suffolk’s Strongest.
In 2024, Mr Hamblet stepped away from competition to focus on losing weight and recovering from injuries, shedding around 40kg while rehabilitating a herniated disc in his neck in preparation for a return the following year.
That hard work paid off in 2025 when he placed seventh at England’s Strongest Man Under-80kg in his first national-level competition and secured qualification for Europe’s Strongest Man later this year.
He also ended last season with a 300kg deadlift, a lift close to four times his bodyweight and one of the standout achievements of his career so far.
This year, Mr Hamblet finished 10th at England’s Strongest Man with a heavier federation, earning qualification for Britain’s Strongest Man before taking second place at Essex’s Strongest Man despite being the lightest male athlete in the field.
Last weekend, he achieved his highest-ever national finish by placing fifth at Britain’s Strongest Man, where events included a 1.5-times-bodyweight atlas stone to shoulder, a four-times-bodyweight yoke run and a 3.5-times-bodyweight deadlift for repetitions.
Mr Hamblet, who is general manager at Miller & Carter in Ipswich and is coached by Matt Dymond, now hopes to win Ipswich’s Strongest Man on May 30, chase the Under-80kg atlas stone world record and qualify again for Europe’s Strongest Man, while his girlfriend Courtney, also competes for the women’s title.
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