The Interview
There are a lot of youtube videos of you doing circus strongman acts. How did you get started in that?
Yes, I had a period in my life when I worked as a strongman in a circus, performed ancient power tricks, tied nails, bent armature in my teeth, hammered nails into a board, concrete blocks were broken on me, and much more.
When did you start training for Pro-Strongman?
I have been doing Strongman for about 8 years.
Do you have a favorite Strongman?
Yes, I have a favorite Strongman that I like, and which I admire, Eddie Hall.
Did you watch Thor’s 501kg deadlift record?
Yes, of course. I watched it on air, once he set the record, I supported it. I think he heard me screaming; “Tor! Tor! Come on!” lol , but still, my favorite strongman is Hall.
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You competed in powerlifting before. Would you consider competing in powerlifting again?
Yes, I used to perform powerlifting, but I was always closer to Strongman and my future career will only be Strongman.
You mentioned on your Instagram you had issues in preparations with the 501kg deadlift attempt. Could you give a bit more information on last year’s preparation for 501kg and what went wrong?
Yes, when I was preparing last time, deadlift 501 kg I had problems in the first place, these problems were with finances. I have no sponsors or any financial opportunities, so I would really like to find financial support and to find a sponsor so that I can fully prepare for the competition. There were also serious health problems, many people probably don’t know this, but I’ll tell my story At the age of 3 I had surgery, I had serious kidney problems, the doctors even told my mother that I would not live up to 6 years.
Now I feel good everything is in order with my health. I went through a lot of examinations, I got a good coach and I am ready for the record, I am ready to lift 500kg and a lot more. Let my example be a motivation for people not to stop moving forward, no matter what the doctors/people say. I will raise the world deadlift record, and next year I will do my best to compete in WSM and place in the top 3. (Ivan didn’t expand on how exactly do his past kidney issues relate to his troubles during the 501kg attempt preparation. I am guessing something related to these childhood issues either popped up during his training or were nagging him leading up to and possibly even after the event. How severe or mild were these issues, I can only speculate. However, seeing as he tells me he is feeling great now, I am assuming he fixed whatever it is that was bothering him/slowing him down.)
How come you don’t compete in international Strongman events like Arnold Classic or Giants Live?
If you deadlift above the world record(501kg) in September, would you be satisfied or would you still try 520kg?
What is your main motivation for training?
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