Brian Shaw is one of the biggest men to ever enter the world of Strongman. Shaw was born in the small town of Fort Lupton where he was always dominant in sports. By the time he was in middle school he was 6 feet tall and weighed 200 pounds. He quickly got into basket ball, where many other players had the misfortune of playing against him. On several occasions collisions caused opposing players to have led to knockouts, broken noses and facial bones and even a broken back. It was not intentional, "It wasn’t that I was a dirty player. I wasn’t even trying to do it hard.” Shaw explains. Many who know Shaw actually attest to his very friendly nature.
This dominance in sport eventually led Shaw to a scholarship at Otero Junior College and Black Hills State University. Here he gained a degree in Wellness Management and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. But it was also here that Shaw discovered his passion for weightlifting. In 2005, Brian attended a strength and conditioning convention where he was easily the strongest man there. It was then that Shaw realized his true potential in strength sports. Shaw lifted the Inch dumbbell with ease, much to the surprise of all those attending the convention. It was shortly after that he won Denver's Strongest Man and become a pro in 2006, leaving his old sport of basket ball behind him.
In 2009 Shaw entered Fortissimus where he won third overall and was the only man to lift all 6 stones. Shortly after Shaw made his first podium finish in World's Strongest Man 2009. Shaw would only improve through 2010 and 2011 where he won second and first place respectively besting Zydrunas Savickas for the gold. Shaw has since won World's Strongest Man again and has established himself as a legendary powerhouse in the world of strongman. Other honors include winning the Arnold Strongman Classic the same year as his World's Strongest Man victory and lifting the heaviest Atlas Stone ever, at 558 lbs.
This dominance in sport eventually led Shaw to a scholarship at Otero Junior College and Black Hills State University. Here he gained a degree in Wellness Management and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. But it was also here that Shaw discovered his passion for weightlifting. In 2005, Brian attended a strength and conditioning convention where he was easily the strongest man there. It was then that Shaw realized his true potential in strength sports. Shaw lifted the Inch dumbbell with ease, much to the surprise of all those attending the convention. It was shortly after that he won Denver's Strongest Man and become a pro in 2006, leaving his old sport of basket ball behind him.
In 2009 Shaw entered Fortissimus where he won third overall and was the only man to lift all 6 stones. Shortly after Shaw made his first podium finish in World's Strongest Man 2009. Shaw would only improve through 2010 and 2011 where he won second and first place respectively besting Zydrunas Savickas for the gold. Shaw has since won World's Strongest Man again and has established himself as a legendary powerhouse in the world of strongman. Other honors include winning the Arnold Strongman Classic the same year as his World's Strongest Man victory and lifting the heaviest Atlas Stone ever, at 558 lbs.