Five-times Scotland's Strongest Man champion Luke Stoltman on top of the world as he adds the UK log lifting record to his impressive list of strength achievements
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Easter Ross strongman Luke Stoltman is "on top of the world" after setting a new weightlifting record.
The five-times Scotland's Strongest Man champion, from Invergordon, can now add the UK log lifting record to his impressive list of strength achievements.
Luke, who runs the Stoltman Strength Centre in the town, beat the previous record – which stood at 220kg – by just 1kg at his gym on Sunday.
The successful attempt was refereed by previous record holder Žydrūnas Savickas – better known in strongman circles as the Big Z – and live streamed online through the ESPN channel in the USA as well as on YouTube, with a potential viewing audience in excess of 100,000.
Mr Stoltman said it was good for Invergordon to have the record set there and added: "It was amazing. Being the best at something was beyond my wildest dreams."
Sharing his equally impressive reaction to the successful 221kg lift online as well he said: "When I don't do a good lift I like to think I am respectful but when I am the best I kind of shout and scream and pound my chest – it is raw emotion.
"I am on top of the world really."
Mr Stoltman has been competing in strongman events for around nine years and has been training since he was 16 years old.
His first event was a deadlift event in Inverness, which he won, deciding from there to take things further.
He decided to aim for the log lifting record earlier this year and has been training hard for it over a period of months.
"In 2015 I failed a 150kg lift and now I'm lifting 221kg," he said.
In August he was named as an ambassador for Highland-based mental health charity Mikeysline.
• You can see Luke's successful log lift via his Facebook page.
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