Gay strongman Chris McNaughten’s ultimate feat of strength doesn’t derive from the WSM arena but from his tumultuous beginnings, overcoming the severest adversity to obliterate stereotypes be an advocate for equality.
“I grew up in a town called Larne in Northern Ireland just outside Belfast” begins Chris, “School wasn’t great for me. I was bullied for being overweight, which caused me to have a lot of body confidence issues later in life” he reveals. “I was a very heavy 19 stone prop forward that didn’t belong in football. I got bullied for being fat and for playing rugby. When your body is a constant cause of people laughing and teasing, especially at a young age, you believe that it isn’t normal to look the way you do and it’s hard to change those negative thoughts” he explains. “I guess like all victims of bullying, I was targeted for whatever made me different, it’s only now I see how amazing being different is!”
“I detested my body as a teenager and remember fantasising about going into school one day and removing my body like a big coat to be just the same as everyone else underneath,” says Chris. “In order to cope I channeled the hate, I felt towards my body to self-harm and abuse.
“I channeled the hate I felt towards my body to self-harm and abuse”
“Self-harm for many is a relief because it does release chemicals which produce some feelgood feelings. I self-harmed for many years, it started as a mental problem and developed into an addiction because of the body’s release of pain killer” he explains solemnly. “People self-harm for many reasons; self-hate, body issues, to take away from other pain, both mental and physical, and as a cry for help. For me, it developed from the self-hate I harboured towards the way I looked.
“I would cut myself under my boxers so it wouldn’t be seen and worry others, it was never a vie for attention as most people assume. I’ve never discussed it before now to be honest, the only people who are aware of it would be partners who have seen me with my clothes off and seen the scars” reveals Chris bravely.
“I think it’s the same for so many people that training is a form of self-abuse too! Squatting until we can’t walk, training until we pass out… to people who don’t train these feats seem bizarre, in the same way self-harming seems inexplicable to so many who don’t understand it. It’s both almost for that same goal, we need that feeling of pain and release of endorphins by attacking the muscle below the skin, whereas others find that relief by attacking above the skin!” Chris explains. “We are lucky to have training in our lives to direct our frustrations and emotions into, for someone who doesn’t have this avenue, self-harm 
can become a similar form of pain, just obviously a more dangerous and unhealthy way!”
“I overcame self-harm by putting that frustration and hate into my training” Chris resolves proudly. “After years of playing rugby I wanted to move into a new sport, I gave all I had to give to rugby at the time and couldn’t see a future in it anymore. I watched strongman as a kid, and I was always a fan and wanted to give it a chance.
“Back when I first got into strongman there can’t have been more than 12 guys doing it in Ireland, and it wasn’t as well-known as it is today. It was a different and odd sport to do and I liked that, I adapted well to the training and lifestyle of eating and it began to give me a new identity along with confidence for the first time in my life.
“When I first started strongman, I wasn’t open about my sexuality and I was always there knowing I was gay and feeling this isn’t the place to be,” says Chris. “As time went by, I released the stigma was no longer as prevalent, the competitors, organisers etc were all lovely people, and on the occasions that the subject of homosexuality came up, it was pleasantly received. I became good friends with Dave Warner, who runs official strongman in Ireland and referees at the top shows. It was mostly down to Dave that I felt comfortable coming out as I knew no matter what he and a few key others would have my back!
“When I first started strongman, I wasn’t open about my sexuality”
“I decided to come out as gay when I was 28, just two years ago. The main reason being that it was the first time in my life I was being properly held back and dragged down by not being open about my sexuality. I’d decided at that stage I only wanted to be in relationship with guys going forward and to do that my family and friends needed to know” he says. “I thought of keeping it quiet for longer, but I didn’t think my family deserved that. I have an amazing loving family and they deserve to know the real me, to live my life, and experience things with me. They didn’t deserve me living a secret life and keeping them and my friends in the dark”.
“Coming out and telling Dave Warner was probably the last emotional hurdle to overcome. After the welcome and how it was received by everyone within the official strongman and renegade strongman, I felt amazing. The other competitors were so understanding too” beams Chris. “I decided, after coming out, and no longer feeling like I had to hide, that I would go back and compete to win the titles I missed out on over the years.
Chris’ coach is World’s Strongest Man veteran ‘Big Loz’ Laurence Shahlaei, “Big Loz has been a good friend of mine for many years now. It was actually Loz who informed me about five years ago that the term ‘bear’ was used to describe gay men who are big and hairy, at the time this was unknown to me, being in the closet about my sexuality with a nickname like a bear” laughs Chris. “Loz has been a great friend over the years as well as a fantastic coach!
“I train about five times a week, just whatever the big man has on the programme for me,” says Chris. I used to eat around 5-6000 calories a day, but I’ve now dropped these down a lot, and I’m feeling far better for it! Results keep coming and my body is more energetic.
“Over the past year I’ve invested a lot of my money in right places with strongman, training equipment, coach and nutrition, it definitely pays off and it won’t be long till I’m at the level I want to be at!” Chris resolves firmly.
“Strongman as a whole is an amazing, supportive, and humbling sport! I praise it and the men that compete, and I’m so thankful to be a part of it!” he exclaims.
“Going public about my sexuality opened up a whole new world, and suddenly I learned, there is no one physique that’s attractive; attraction comes in all different shapes and sizes. when I learned that, at 28 I finally started to love who I was for the first time”.
“Going public about my sexuality opened up a whole new world”
When I first started strongman, I wasn’t open about my sexuality and I was always there knowing I was gay and feeling this isn’t the place to be. As time went by I released the stigma was no longer as prevalent, the competitors, organisers, etc were all lovely people, and on the occasions that the subject of homosexuality came up, it was really pleasantly received. I became good friends with Dave Warner, who runs official strongman in Ireland and referees at the top shows. It was mostly down to Dave that I felt comfortable coming out as I knew no matter what he and a few key others would have my back!
Coming out and telling Dave was probably the last emotional hurdle to overcome. After the welcome and how it was received by everyone within official strongman and renegade strongman I felt amazing. The other competitors were so understanding too.
I decided, after coming out, and no longer feeling like I had to hide that I would go back and compete to win the titles I missed out on over the years.
Strongman as a whole is an amazing, supportive, and humbling sport! I praise it and the men that compete, and I’m so thankful to be a part of it!
Photo Credits: Stephen Black Photography
