“This competition is the Super Bowl … the pinnacle of strength sports. I’ve always dreamed of being here, and not that I never thought I’d get here, but now that I am, I want to be at my absolute best”
If there was ever a competition for Canada’s strongest police officer, Tristain Hoath could very likely take home that title.
The constable with the Edmonton Police Service isn’t your average cop on the beat. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 330 pounds, which would make him an intimidating presence on the force. While he serves and protects the citizens of Edmonton, Hoath has also had his sights set on becoming the World’s Strongest Man.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Article content
Two weeks ago, he found out he qualified for the World’s Strongest Man competition this week in Myrtle Beach, S.C. When Postmedia caught up with him Friday afternoon, he had advanced through to the finals, and is guaranteed a Top-10 finish.
Quite a feat for a rookie in his first-ever World’s Strongest Man competition.
“My expectations coming in were to not place last in my heats,” Hoath said with a laugh.
“I’m honestly at a loss for words as for my expectations for how well I’ve competed. If it ends up I win, it would be overwhelming … an absolute dream come true.”
Growing up, Hoath had big dreams of playing football at a high level and one day becoming a police officer, but he also had dreams of competing in the World’s Strongest Man competition after watching it on TV with his dad.
He achieved some of his football goals, winning three-straight Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) national championships with the Saskatoon Hilltops before moving on to play with the University of Regina Rams.
He became a police officer with EPS in 2018, and that’s when he started to pursue training for strength competitions. Hoath has competed across Canada, including Canada’s Strongest Man competition in 2021 and 2023, in which he placed fifth and sixth, respectively. He later won the 2023 Magnus Classic in Iceland.
Headline News
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
So, just how strong is Hoath?
He can dead lift 815 pounds. He can hold two Dinnie stones (essentially giant rocks) that are a combined weight of 733 pounds for almost 30 seconds. He can do a farmer’s carry holding 455 pounds in each hand and walk 25 feet in distance.
At the World’s Strongest Man competition, Hoath hopes to set all new personal bests.
“In these competitions, you’re always chasing strength,” said Hoath.
“This competition is the Super Bowl … the pinnacle of strength sports. I’ve always dreamed of being here, and not that I never thought I’d get here, but now that I am, I want to be at my absolute best.”
In a lot of ways, Hoath believes strength training for strongman competitions and working as a police officer correlate well with one another.
“In order to compete at a high level you have to be able to control your emotions, your body, your heart rate, and it coincides with policing because you’re going to high (stress) calls or incidents that are already in progress and you have to be able to control your variables and carry yourself in a different ways,” said Hoath.
Advertisement 4
Article content
Hoath says strength training also provides an outlet away from the day-to-day stresses of being a police officer.
“We don’t get to control the variables of what we may see every shift, or the call we go to, or how people react to us,” said Hoath.
“When I’m training, I’m able to control where I can push myself, where I can find that extra drive, and the daily struggles we face with policing.
“Not all police officers have that safe outlet. Instead of having a drink or something like that, the gym is a good reset for myself. It’s gotten me through some times when I’ve faced some real tough calls and experiences.”
Like anything in life, there comes a time when a person has to move on to other goals and aspirations, but now that Hoath has finally reached his goal of competing in the World’s Strongest Man competition, he’s committed to giving it his best shot over the next few years to see how far he can reach in his sport.
“Before I got this invite, I was talking with my wife, and we agreed on three more years of chasing the Strongman dream,” said Hoath.
“I’ve hit this expectation that I’ve got here now, we’re going to try and live this dream as long as we can. When it’s over, hopefully I can go out on my terms, but I’ll be proud of everything I’ve accomplished.”
Recommended from Editorial
Article content
