![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/SLPF-DanAbdooV1-065_47742.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
But the routine eventually lost its appeal.<\/p>\n
“I got bored of powerlifting, and around 2023, 2024, I started exploring other strength sports like calisthenics, gymnastics and then stumbled into strongman, and really enjoyed the experience of competing,” Abdoo said.<\/p>\n
“I just slowly worked my way up to a national level from there and then qualified for international last month.”<\/p>\n
Strongman competitions test more than brute strength, combining endurance, adaptability and technique across unpredictable events.<\/p>\n
“Each competition is different,” Abdoo said. “You might have some more conventional stuff, like squats and deadlifts\u2026and you also sometimes have to lift up some really weird things.<\/p>\n
“I’ve had competitions where we’ve got to pick up concrete stones, or atlas stones, up to the shoulder. I’ve done competitions where I’ve had to pull a tractor.<\/p>\n
“It can be just weird, random objects that you won’t find anywhere but at the competition itself. You never really know what you’re getting yourself into.”<\/p>\n
Abdoo will compete in Glasgow, Scotland in August.<\/p>\n
To prepare for the event, he blends heavy lifting with conditioning, skill work and even yin yoga to support recovery.<\/p>\n
Despite qualifying for the world stage, the reality of the opportunity is still sinking in.<\/p>\n
“It’s still pretty surreal,” Abdoo said. “Once we get a little bit closer to the day, it will become a bit more real.<\/p>\n
“I’ve never been over to Europe before, so to experience the culture while trying to mentally stay focused\u2026is probably where I’m a little bit more apprehensive.”<\/p>\n
Support from home has been a major driver.<\/p>\n
“It’s been everything,” Abdoo said. “It’s been really cool, the amount of support and encouragement I’ve received from local community, from my local cafe to gym.<\/p>\n
“I’m incredibly grateful. It definitely makes me feel confident going over there, knowing that there are people back home, behind me, supporting me, wanting me to do well.”<\/p>\n
Over the two-day strongman event, competitors accumulate points across multiple disciplines, with the highest overall score deciding the winner.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For Abdoo, expectations remain grounded. His goal is to complete every event and enjoy the atmosphere of the competition.<\/p>\n “An Ocean Grove local from a small beach country town, winning a world championship, that would be pretty surreal,” Abdoo said.<\/p>\n “It’s a lot of hard work, it’s a lot of hard training, it’s a lot of sacrifice to make it happen. So it’d be really validating to all of that.”<\/p>\n Beyond Scotland, there is one milestone he is chasing above all others: lifting Iceland’s legendary H\u00fasafell Stone.<\/p>\n “In a lot of these European, Scandinavian countries, strength was a rite of passage,” Abdoo said.<\/p>\n “To become a man and to contribute with the community in the village, you have to go and lift up these specific manhood stones.<\/p>\n “Scotland’s got a couple; I’m excited to go and lift a couple of those. But if I can go and pick up [the H\u00fasafell Stone], that’s my rite of passage of strength complete. I’ve achieved enough strength and I’d be happy with what I’ve done.”<\/p>\n For now, that goal remains just out of reach.<\/p>\n “I had a chat with my coach, and I was like, ‘Just be honest with me. Am I going to be strong enough to lift this stone or not?’ He was like, ‘Nah, you’re going to need a bit more time’.<\/p>\n “So I’ll come back to Australia, train a bit more, get a bit stronger, and then fingers crossed, in the next year, maybe two years, I’ll head down and tick that off the bucket list.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" OCEAN Grove strongman Dan Abdoo has turned strength into a craft \u2013 and it is a craft now taking him to Scotland for the Natural World’s Strongest Man competition. Abdoo stepped into strongman competition three years ago, following a background in powerlifting where him competed at both national and international level. His shift into the […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/Dan-41_50441.jpg\")