Capes could see no potential being an beginner and, while confident that he would nonetheless have challenged for just a shot set medal in 1984, a fresh vocation combining the entire world Highland Online games With all the significantly well-liked and worthwhile strongman circuit beckoned.
Lifting hefty sacks of coal working day-in-working day-out was don't just a method of livelihood but additionally an unexpected coaching floor for what lay ahead. The practical energy he developed in the course of this era experienced at the least some section in laying his sturdy athletic foundations.
In his memory, followers and fellow competitors alike say their remaining goodbyes to a winner, honoring his daily life’s operate along with the powerful legacy he leaves driving.
Besides his strongman achievements, Capes uncovered significant good results inside the Highland Video games, a conventional power Competitiveness featuring functions much like the caber toss and hammer throw. Capes received six Globe Highland Game titles titles during the nineteen eighties, showcasing his impressive versatility and reinforcing his standing being an athlete effective at excelling across diverse strength disciplines.
In 2018, Geoff Capes was recognised for his outstanding achievements to the sport as an inductee to our Corridor of Fame. Geoff's shot Placing legacy continued with his daughter Emma getting ESAA champion and Youth Olympics bonze medallist. He has also devoted a substantial amount of his time giving again to coaches and athletes.
Capes stated with glee: “This is a accurate Tale that I conquer Foster above 200m on two instances, after at Gateshead on his residence floor, and once more by myself territory in Spalding!
Born in 1949 in England, Geoff Capes grew from a tall and promising schoolboy into The most towering figures in British sports activities.
They then went off over a mutual journey of discovery from the shot set that would stop with Capes starting to be Britain’s most capped athlete, a double European and Commonwealth winner as well as a 17-time national champion.
“There were numerous stories,” states Capes. “I had my time. I appreciated my daily life and I went worldwide. How Lots of individuals can express that?”
From The instant he stepped in the strongman circuit, he confirmed glimpses of greatness. Whilst several athletes get a long time to situation themselves for your rigors of strongman occasions, he tailored with amazing simplicity.
There will be read more only two men across the whole area occasion programme, Though that can incorporate Scott Lincoln, a shot putter that is now inside of 40cm of Capes’ 21.68m British document – which you can see him toss under.
“I do think I'd maybe be the only real athlete to win so many athletics awards, and be globe champion in three different sporting activities, never to be awarded an MBE, but I'm positive it really is as a result of truth I took a stand against Margaret Thatcher in 1980 to enable athletes to contend in Moscow, in so sacrificing my police career.”
Standing at 6ft five' and weighing 27 stone the ex-Olympian received the hearts of millions of fans and admirers all through his existence to be a GB athlete. Pictured lifting 6 Gals over a gameshow
These days Capes is happy of the corporation of two other good throws coaches, Mike Winch and John Hillier, equally of whom he competed towards many years in the past, introducing “involving the three of us we retain generating some Great athletes.”