Team Consortium - who are they?

Team Consortium is made up of members of the crew training in Hopewell Street, Gloucester - using the Whey Consortium strongman gym (www.wheyconsortium.com), members of Gymnation in Alfred Street (a community project) and a few assorted strong and willing who we managed to get involved.

The Hopewell Street Gym includes stuntman Nick McKinless - 2006 to 2007 under 105-kilo Britain's Strongest Man, Laurence Shahlaei (recovering this week from competing in this years Britain's strongest man - check channel 5's listing in August for the TV show timings - photo this page shows Laurence deadlifting at the BSM in Minehead just last week). You can add Mike Betty, co-owner of The Whey Consortium, who also competes in the 105-kilo strongman class as well as Harry 'H' Shahlaei. Harry is 230lbs and not yet 18 and yet can deadlift 250-kilos and is well on his way to becoming a big name himself if he keeps this up. I train at both the Hopewell Street camp as well as Gymnation and have a few grip strength records to my name as well as managing to win the British Grip Championships in 2006. All of the lads compete and have many competions placings to their names. I'll introduce a few more of the regulars at a later date.

From Gymnation we have Tony 'Scooter' Smith who has competed for many years in drug free powerlifting, Alf 'blimey he's a lump' Squires, Neville - Scooters training partner and more. Gymnation have been heavily involved with community work and played a massive part in helping us raise funds for their charity last year. The mob that trains at Gymantion is, for the most part, a very freindly and sociable group and enjoy these big events.

Barton and Tredworth, here in the city of Gloucester have a great many ethnic groups and this mix is well represented within the main crew that will be involved in both pulls. We hope that this diversity will appeal to the media and any potential sponsors and shows that diverse groups from many backgrounds can work together when they have a common aim.