ST. PAUL – Lithuania is famous for its green landscapes and beaches, but the Eastern European country also served as the setting for a Strongman World Cup competition held earlier this month on July 6 – the 2023 Pasaulio Taurė.
Representing Canada at the event was Lakeland’s own Colten Sloan. Sloan is also the nation’s first Indigenous professional strongman. As the competition wrapped up, Sloan secured an impressive second-place finish.
While Sloan felt he could have done better, “taking second is still a huge accomplishment,” he acknowledges.
Western Canada’s Strongest
Prior to the July 6 World Cup, Sloan also competed at the 2023 Western Canada's Strongest Man, held in Fort McMurray from July 1 to July 2. He secured a third-place finish, and with that, a ticket to Canada’s Strongest Man competition to be held at Quebec from Aug. 26 to 27.
With the two events falling within just a few days of each other, along with travelling 20 hours to Lithuania, Sloan admits it was a challenge to compete, but perhaps not as big of a challenge as he expected.
Every show or competition has its own challenges, he says. Venues, weather, and other challenges often pop up. “It’s never perfect,” he admits, however, it’s all part of being an athlete.
With the upcoming Canada’s Strongest Man competition just over a month away, Sloan says he's excited to continue to compete. He is currently the first and only Indigenous professional strongman in Canada, and he will also be the first Indigenous strongman to compete at the national competition.
When asked if he feels any outside pressure with the accolade, like representing the Indigenous community in Canada’s strongman scene, or representing the nation at the recent 2023 Pasaulio Taurė, he says no.
“I put pressure on myself, absolutely, because I want to represent us well.” But the pressure he feels does not come from others, instead, the Indigenous community specifically encourages him to simply be himself.
Philosophy
As an athlete, Sloan’s philosophy is to never quit. “I’ve been through genuine hell,” he says, recalling his inspirations like his late grandfather and his late wife, who both fought cancer.
Sloan’s late wife fought cancer for four years and his grandfather for two. “I watched them battle every single day... through that hardship... right until the end,” he says.
They both passed away three months apart from each other.
“That was hard for me... that was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through,” recalls Sloan. So, training, eating the right stuff, and all the other things that comes with the sport, they don’t seem “that bad in the big picture to me.”
“I’ve seen people suffer. I’ve seen them suffer gracefully and with strength. And they inspire me every day,” he says, with a brief pause, adding, “They didn’t have a choice... neither do I.”
For those interested in getting involved in the sport, Sloan encourages them to reach out to him with questions and for support.
“I’m all ears.”
