Who is powerlifter Gavin Bilton?

POWERLIFTING is a sport that shows off the incredible strength of its competitors.

One participant is Gavin Bilton – here is all you need to know about him.

Gavin Bilton is a powerlifter who used to be a rugby player

Who is powerlifter Gavin Bilton?

Gavin Bilton was born on October 23, 1988, in Caerphilly, Wales.

He grew up in the town and after leaving school joined the Welsh Guards, where he stayed for 13 years.

He completed two tours in Afghanistan and acted as a Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace.

After he left the Army he set up his own gym in Caerphilly called Area 51.

When did Gavin Bilton play rugby?

Gavin has previously been a professional rugby player.

Bilton played for Caerphilly RFC in the WRU National Bowl final in 2017.

During his career he played for London Irish, Caerphilly, Bridgend, Swansea, Newport and Bedwas.

He played at second row and was unusually strong for a rugby player despite being a slender weight of 18 stone and 12 pounds.

He spent three years playing for the Welsh Premiership but began to focus on gaining weight and strength before winning his first strongman contest.

Did Gavin Bitlon have a heart attack?

In 2021, Gavin had a heart attack.

Giants Live reported it was a result of using excessive amounts of caffeine to combat fatigue and prepare for contests.

It meant he was forced to take a break from competing.

However, he told WSM Champion Mitchell Hooper in 10 Minutes With Gavin Bilton he wouldn’t change a thing.

He revealed: “If I had to do it all again I would do it all the same again because I think it’s made me a much better athlete cause it makes me more responsible because I wasn’t being what I should’ve.

“I just got stuck into that thing of ‘bigger is better’ and it was just the eating, the training was just heavy heavy heavy and show after show after show.

“And it’s so sad that it took something that serious to make me realise that it isn’t that way no more.”

In 2019, he revealed that he ate 8,000 calories a day including steak, pasta, and chicken. 

What competitions has Gavin Bilton competed in?

Gavin began competing internationally in 2020 following the Covid lockdown.

He finished 8th at the 2020 Europe’s Strongest Man and qualified for his first World’s Strongest Man final after taking the UK crown.

He made his second appearance at World’s Strongest Man in 2021 and achieved a Welsh record of 425kg (937lb) for the deadlift.

He returned to competition in 2022 at Europe’s Strongest Man contest in Leeds, placing 11th.

Gavin won Wales’ Strongest Man in 2021 after finishing as runner up in 2018 and 2019.

He won UK’s Strongest Man in both 2020 and 2021, and placed third in 2022.

In 2023, he finished second at the Britain’s Strongest Man competitions.