Brian Shaw, a BHSU alum, returned to campus on Nov. 16. During halftime of the men’s basketball game, Shaw was honored and given the Young Alumni Achievement Award.

Shaw attended BHSU for his junior and senior years of college where he had a full ride scholarship to play basketball. After his two years, he received a degree in wellness management. It was during his time on the men’s basketball team that he first began to realize his love for lifting weights.

Shaw’s love for lifting weights continued to grow. Upon high school graduation, Shaw weighed 240 pounds. He is now 6a�� 8″ tall and weighs in at 440 pounds. In Oct. 2005, he began his career as a strongman when he won the Denver Strongest Man contest. Shaw was hooked ever since winning that event and continued pursuing his strongman career in June 2006 when he went pro. He has competed in seven Strongman Super Series events since 2009 and taken first place in six of those seven events. He has taken first place in 2010 and 201l at the Jon Pall Sigmarsson Classic, and he also took first place in 2011 at the Arnold Strongman Classic. Since 2008, he has competed in six World’s Strongest Man competitions, two of which he has taken first place, in 2011 and 2013. His first place finish in the 2013 World’s Strongest Man competition officially gives Shaw the title of the World’s Strongest Man.

According to TheWorldsStrongestMan.com, Shaw’s advice for somebody who wants to become a strongman is, “Work hard, eat big, and be consistent.”