“The household of Geoffrey Capes would like to announce his sad passing nowadays, twenty third October,” his loved ones explained to the BBC. “Britain’s finest shot putter and twice environment’s strongest guy,” they extra.
But escalating up from the Lincs fens Geoff experienced a softer aspect — he was fascinated through the normal entire world and cared for hurt birds and animals.
“I even now have fond Recollections of him, Stuart Storey and Sally Reddin every time they took central phase in the city if the Olympic Torch Relay , attracting all-around ten,000 people, came throughout the city.
Cooking for him was a full-time career for his devoted wife Jill, who would Prepare dinner 'continuously' for over 12 several hours on a daily basis... and then the athlete would aid himself to snacks, like half a pound of grilled cheese.
But Geoff swore: “I’ll be back again.” The following yr he took the title and roared: “The King has not dropped his crown!”
Russell Whitworth said: “Have know Geoff all my daily life considering that he grew up alongside my brother and our mom and dad worked alongside one another. Lots of enjoyable at body weight lifting club early many years. Under no circumstances forgot his Holbeach roots. RIP large man.”
His dimensions intended he was frequently pitted against older competitors; invariably he beat them. By the end of 1966, aged 17, he was ranked 30th in the national listings.
Capes' didn't overlook to rejoice after the conclusion of the final celebration, the loading race saying "The King has not shed his crown!".[eighteen] Their rivalry thrived and Sigmarsson won Once more in 1986 with Capes coming next.
“Don't just was Geoff a two-time Globe’s Strongest Male and a document-breaking shot putter, but he was also an enormous in coronary heart and spirit,” Hall mentioned, for each the BBC.
His triumph in 1985 cemented his standing as certainly one of the best strongmen of all time, and his stature being a beloved national determine was sealed.
The encouraged average every day usage for an adult male is two,five hundred energy - that means that Capes would try to eat in excess of 5 times around his fellows. Pictured: His large portion close to his wife's
He was a giant of a person who, in his primary, preserved his 6ft 5ins, 26-stone frame with a each day diet regime of six lbs . of beef, a dozen eggs, two loaves of bread, two tins of pilchards, a pound of butter and six pints of milk.
To any youngster or adult aiming to elevate an object over and above their suggests generally arrived a well-known retort: 'Who do you're thinking that you will be? Geoff Capes?'
Geoff’s legend grew all the more when he entered the globe of strongman competitions. In the time when there were only three television channels in the UK, Geoff’s feats of strength captivated the country. Tens of millions tuned in to observe him elevate unimaginable weights, and his power became the things of folklore. He commenced by successful the title of Britain’s Strongest Gentleman, followed by European titles, prior to stepping on to the earth phase.
Capes left faculty at fourteen; on his selot188 previous day his headmaster informed him he would in no way make something of himself. Getting no skills, he joined his father for a labourer from the fields selecting fruit and veggies.