Geoff Capes: WSM and Olympic Athlete

Photo Courtesy - Strongestman.com!

Well, I have to say this has been one of the higher points in my lifting career. I can actually say I got to converse with a legend in the Strength arena. Geoff Capes, WSM competitor, Highland Games athlete, and an Olympic champion! I am sure most of you already know who he is so I won't have too spend much time explaining it...if you watch WSM and used to see Kaz competing then you know that Geoff Capes was the man pushing Kaz and other greats like Jon Pall Sigmarsson to the very limits and forcing them to excel, not to mention taking a few titles himself. I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Capes, as I always believed he was an impressive athlete and definitely a force to be feared and respected anytime he set foot on a competitive field.
Standing an impressive 6'-6" and weighing in around 320 lbs he definitely fit the WSM mold. Geoff won the European Strongest Man contest 3 times (1980, 1982, 1984) he was the champion of Britain's’ Strongest Man contest 3 times (1979, 1981, 1983), and he was the winner of two World MusclePower Championships. His WSM appearances were no less impressive. He competed from 1980-1986 taking 3rd in 80' and 84', 2nd in 81' and 86', and 1st in 83' and 85'. Those who have seen the past contests remember the 1982 contest when both Geoff and Kaz were injured in the bar bend....even with his injury he still placed an impressive 4th. Quite an auspicious resume in the strength realm, but there is still more.
What many don’t know is that Geoff Capes was a tremendous Track and Field athlete that spawned his great Strongman career and he was also quite a force on the Highland Games circuit. Geoff still holds a National Record in the Shot Put and was privy to compete in 3 Olympics. His Highland Games achievements are still up among some of the best to date.
Geoff Capes is a prime example of versatile strength and athleticism. So, instead of me babbling about how awesome his resume is I’ll get into the meat of it and let you see what Geoff himself has to say. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do....

SO: Could you give us some background? Where your from and some physical measurements when you were competing (i.e. height/weight etc.)?

GC: I was born in 1949 in a town in Lincolnshire, England. 12 lbs 7 oz in weight and one of nine children. Always bigger and stronger then most kids, always challenging and competing and, in some cases, fighting to prove I was no. 1. At 14 years old I took up serious Track and Field in the shot put event. At this age I was 6'-3" and roughly 220 lbs.

SO: What athletics did you compete in prior to WSM, if any, and how did you get started in WSM competitions?

GC: I competed for my Great Britain National Team 67 times and had 3 Olympics. My P.R. for the Shot is 71 ft. 3 in. (21m68), which is, still a National Record. WSM came as an offshoot from Track and Field as I was asked to represent Track and Field in the UK Championships, which I won, then into the European, which I won, and then into the WSM, but always able to adapt to strength events.

GC: I felt that the Truck Pull and the Bar Bend were my favorite events. Basically, any speed x strength combination event I felt I had an advantage because of my athletic background training.

SO: What athletes did you feel were the biggest competition for you during your WSM appearances and what made them so competitive?

GC: In order: (1) Bill Kazmaier because of his overall strength in a pure sense and Kaz had this awesome inner strength that was born, not made. (2) Jon Pall Sigmarsson because of his passion to be no. 1.

SO: Who would you say you respected the most of the athletes you competed against and what did they do to earn that respect?

GC: Bill Kazmaier because respect was mutual. He once said to me that “He was the strongest man in the world and I was the strongest ATHLETE he's ever seen!!!”

SO: Did you find the WSM competitors friendly? What was the atmosphere like amongst the competitors? Who did you like as people aside from the competition aspect?

GC: I found most of the competitors respectful and full of life. Good fun to be with in general and in competition. I liked most of them on a personal level.

SO: What is your fondest memory of your WSM experiences?

GC: My fondest memory was winning in New Zealand, as this was where I won my first Track and Field medal in the Commonwealth Games in 1974, also to prove that you have to adapt to be most successful.

SO: How would you compare the WSM competitors currently to when you were competing?

GC: The current batch of WSM lack the overall athleticism of the past competitors such as Jon Pall and Kaz, but I feel the selection process leaves a lot to be desired.

SO: How did you train for your WSM competitions? Did you find that your Highland Games background was beneficial? If so, in what ways?

GC: As I said before, many people have forgotten that I was an Olympic Thrower and Highland Games Master and World Champion in my own right before WSM. So I felt that my ability to use this asset and transport it to the WSM helped. The only thing different was the events; the training was always the same.

SO: Did you prefer to compete in the WSM arena or were you happier competing in the Highland Games circuit?

GC: I felt that because I made my life and money from the combination of both, each had a part to play in my success.

SO: What records did/do you hold in the Highland Games circuit and how did your training differ for this arena from the WSM?

GC: In the Highland Games I did 17'-10" in the 56 lb for height, 141' in the Hammer, 98'-10" for the 28 lb for distance, 65'-10" in the Stone Throw and the Caber. (Ed. Note: Geoff mentioned previously that his training never differed for the various competitions)

SO: Who were the major competitors for you in the Highland Games circuit and what made them so competitive?

GC: Bill Anderson, Grant Anderson, Hamish Davidson...all were great athletes who compete year after year and were experts in their own right, in fact, Hamish was very strong with a standing neck press of 450 lbs. So with skill he was very competitive plus, being Scottish, and I was English made them really difficult to beat.

SO: When you aren't tossing logs and heaving boulders what kind of things do you enjoy doing?

GC: I breed and show Parakeets as a hobby and I like fishing, so as you can see I am fairly ordinary. (I don’t know how ordinary a 6'6" man weighing 300+ lbs can be, but we'll give you the benefit of the doubt.) ;-)

SO: What have you been doing since you stopped competing in the WSM circuit? Do you ever have aspirations of returning to strength sports?

GC: I involve myself in my work and pastimes and also organize the UK Strongest man (open) event, and although I enjoy watching sporting events I feel what else have I got to prove...and to whom?!

SO: Any words of advice or tips for the many aspiring strength athletes reading this interview?

GC: To be the top dog you must have more attributes to your arsenal other than strength, strength is only a guide, to adapt this strength is another skill. Always be aware that you can achieve...second best is not good enough.

SO: During the 1981 WSM there was a brief segment about the rivalry between you and Bill Kazmaier, how friendly/unfriendly was that rivalry?

Photo Courtesy - Strongestman.com!

GC: Bill and I were always aware that it was nearly always down to me and him, he knew of my reputation that I wouldn't give in at any costs and that I was always there and that only created rivalry. We always respected each other because of our single-minded want to win at all costs.

SO: I would just like to express my gratitude for your time and the opportunity to ask you these questions. Personally, I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors and would like to thank you on behalf of all your fans.

GC: I am always here to assist and help any person who needs it by giving and passing on experiences to others and everybody is welcome.

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