Eight days after being hospitalized with heart issues, World’s Strongest Man competitor Gabriel Pena pulled 520 kilograms (1,145 pounds) off 18-inch blocks. Ok, then. You can check out the impressive feat in the video below, which Pena posted to his Instagram on Nov. 21, 2020.
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Pena had to withdraw after day one of the qualifying stages of WSM on Nov. 13, 2020. (Ervin Toots also withdrew due to issues with his quad.) After competing in the max rep deadlift event on day one, Pena noticed that his heartbeat was faster than normal. He checked his pulse and then had the on-site medics examine him. Also concerned, the medics directed him to the paramedic team who hooked Pena up to an electrocardiogram. Pena was experiencing atrial fibrillation — defined by an erratic fluttering of the top chambers of the heart.
He was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton, FL, to undergo tests and receive treatment. After help from the medical staff, his heart rate calmed down, and Pena was released a day later. He returned to the site of WSM to cheer on the rest of the competitors.
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Now that he’s home and healthy, Pena seems more motivated than ever to claim the WSM title from the 2020 winner Oleksii Novikov. In addition to posting a video of his 520-kilogram (1,145-pound) 18-inch deadlift, Pena has also been grinding through heavy farmer’s carries for sets of 200 feet and sets of high-rep back squats.
For reference, Novikov pulled a WSM world record of 537.5 kilograms (1,185 pounds) on the 18-inch deadlift. That means Pena is 40 pounds away from besting the strongest man in the world’s deadlift record. It seems like his recovery is going well, and it’ll be exciting to see how Pena fares in next year’s WSM competition.
Featured image: @texastitangabe on Instagram