57-year old strongman legend Mark Felix has competed in his final World’s Strongest Man contest. The Grenadian-born, British competitor announced in February 2023 that the most recent edition of the contest would be his last. He made his 18th and final appearance in the competition at the 2023 edition in Myrtle Beach, SC on the week of Apr. 19-23.
Felix failed to make the finals, and the competition was won by 27-year-old Mitchell Hooper. In a strange twist of coincidence, Hooper had his ninth birthday during the 2004 WSM where Felix made his debut in the competition, while Felix had his 57th birthday just two days before his final WSM appearance. On Apr. 22, 2023, Felix shared his thoughts about his expansive WSM career in an Instagram post.
“So many things I could say about my 18th and final WSM show, the opportunities Strongman and [The World’s Strongest Man] has given me over the last 18 years. I have traveled the world. I have competed with the best of the best … from athletes, organizers, crew, sponsors, coach and trainers, friends, family, and supporters, I want to thank you all. It’s been awesome.”
Even though Felix will no longer participate in the World’s Strongest Man contest, he made it clear that he is far from done in the sport itself.
“Strongman Sport is in my blood, it’s a family like no other, and I am looking forward to continuing competing in the [Giants Live] and [Official Strongman Games] shows … To everyone who supports me, thank you for the messages I read them all it means a lot … see you all soon at a show”
Felix has competed in every WSM contest from 2004 to 2023 with the exceptions of the 2005 and 2012 contests. He has reached the Finals on three occasions, with a highest-ever finish in fourth place at the 2006 WSM, followed in 2007 with a sixth-place finish.
In 2015, Felix achieved what would be his last Top 10 finish, reaching eighth place. That same year, Brian Shaw captured his third WSM title. In another coincidence, Shaw has also announced that the 2023 WSM would be his final appearance in the contest.
Felix has competed shoulder-to-shoulder with every WSM champion during that time, from Vasyl Virastyuk (2004) to Hooper (2023).
Outside of the WSM competition, Felix won titles including the 2016 World Strongman Federation’s (WSF) World Cup and the 2015 Ultimate Strongman Masters World Championships.
He may be best known for his incredible grip strength, which propelled him to a World Record in the Hercules Hold, where Felix held the 160-kilogram (352-pound) pillars for 92.37 seconds at the 2020 Europe’s Strongest Man contest. He also won the Vice Grip Viking Challenge in 2011 and 2012, as well as the Rolling Thunder competition in 2008 and 2009.
Even though Felix made it clear he will compete in other shows, as of this writing, there is no word on exactly what Felix’s next contest will be.
Featured Post: @markfelixwsm on Instagram
