Mayo's Cilléin on road to World's Strongest Man

A 430kg deadlift. An 18-tonne truck pulled 20 metres in under 30 seconds. Two Ireland's Strongest Man titles and a growing collection of podium finishes.

For Ballina athlete Cilléin Groom, however, one of the greatest rewards of competing in Strongman is not the weight lifted or the trophies won; it is the opportunity to put on the Tricolour and represent his country.

The professional Strongman athlete has spent the past nine years dedicating his life to the sport.

That dedication has brought him two Ireland's Strongest Man titles, multiple podium finishes across the UK and Ireland, and a remarkable comeback from a serious knee injury that left him questioning whether he would compete again.

Now back in the throes of competition, Cilléin has his sights set on the biggest stage of all.

His dream is to compete at World's Strongest Man and become the first Irish athlete to wear the Tricolour into the competition's top 10.

However, a career in Strongman had not always been part of Cilléin’s plans.

A former rugby player, he was 20 when his older sister, Danielle Groom, who was competing in Strongwoman at the time, encouraged him to enter his first competition.

Cilléin admits he was feeling “a little bit lost” at the time, but placing third at his first competition would prove a turning point.

“When I got the trophy, it sparked something inside of me,” he recalled.

He moved to Galway that September, where he met his future trainer, Matty Costello. After a 20-minute training session, his journey towards becoming a Strongman athlete had begun.

“At the time I was trying to structure my life and find something that was meaningful in it,” he said.

Over the next two years he continued to train, but Strongman did not become a career until he was 22. During that time, he moved to Sligo to complete a PLC course in healthcare while also working in the sector. Then came an unexpected opportunity.

“I was the strongest junior athlete when I got the call-up to do Ireland’s Strongest Man with about four weeks' notice,” he remembered. “I just said yes. I knew I couldn’t turn down the opportunity.” 

After taking part in his first Ireland's Strongest Man, he began to think that there might be something in it and moved back to Galway to train and compete professionally.

Since the age of 22, his focus has been solely on Strongman.

“Pretty much all the decisions I’ve made in my life since then have all revolved around Strongman. Whether that be work-wise, social-wise, not going out, missing out on holidays, missing family events. Everything has been for Strongman ever since then.

“I wanted to see what would happen if I stuck at something and didn’t give up.” 

Strongman became a confidence booster for Cilléin, giving him structure as he navigated his early 20s.

“I consider myself grateful that I found the sport, even if you were to take away the things I have achieved, the sense of purpose and the structure it gave me is something that is beyond valuable. It definitely saved me from going down the wrong path.” 

Unlike many sports, Strongman athletes can spend years working towards their physical peak. Still among the younger competitors, Cilléin explained athletes continue building into their mid-to-late 30s.

“In terms of strength building, it is a long road. I am still training to get to my best,” he said. “If you look at other sports, you know you have Kobe [McDonald] coming in at 17, 18 years old and being one of the best [Gaelic] footballers, which is amazing. You won’t get that in a sport like Strongman.” 

The long road is demanding, with Strongman testing strength, power and endurance to the limits.

“It's an unforgiving sport, there is only so much the body can take,” Cillian explained.

Competitions typically consist of five events, with variations of deadlifting, overhead pressing, moving and loading events. Athletes can be asked to flip tyres, load stones, press kegs and pull trucks.

“That's one reason I love the sport, every competition is different. When you see someone winning across multiple competitions made up of different events, it shows how good of an athlete they are,” Cilléin said.

“There is so much creativity to the sport. There is no actual rulebook. Every promoter will set their own conditions for their competition.” 

The unpredictability means athletes must be versatile, adapting their training to whatever challenges await them on competition day. It also leaves little room for error.

“You do need a bit of luck. A lot of people would be honest enough to admit that. When you’re competing, you have five events, and you have 60 seconds for each. One small mistake is punishment in a sport like this,” he said.

Despite the intensity of competition, Strongman has a strong sense of community.

“It is one of the few sports where competitors become genuine friends. I have formed some great friendships with a lot of guys I have competed against,” Cilléin said.

When competition time comes around, he looks forward not only to testing himself against the other athletes but also to catching up with them.

“We all support each other because we know how difficult the sport is. We want each other to do good because you only want to win if everyone has done good” he said.

“We still want to beat each other," he laughed. “But there is a deep level of respect and friendship there.” 

When the competition begins, it comes down to what an athlete can do under pressure.

Cilléin recently deadlifted 430kg and attempted the Irish record of 460kg. He plans to revisit that attempt.

“Only nine people have ever done 460kg or above. I am still gunning to be the 10th.” 

That determination has translated into significant success for him on the national stage.

Cilléin has won Ultimate Strongman Ireland's Strongest Man twice and has been on the podium for six consecutive years, placing second in 2021 and 2022 before taking the title in 2023 and 2024.

In a sport where athletes constantly push their bodies to the limit, success can quickly turn to setback.

In 2025, Cilléin was competing to retain his title in the fifth and final event, a keg loading race, when a 130kg steel keg landed on his knee.

“It cost me my title and cost me half the cartilage in my knee,” he said.

Despite the injury, he still finished second, but was left uncertain about his future in the sport.

One year later, he returned to Ultimate Strongman Ireland’s Strongest Man and placed third.

“I wasn’t sure if I would be able to come back and compete in the sport because of how damaged my knee was. The fact I did come back, and I’ve had one of the best seasons I’ve ever had - I’m delighted,” he said.

Cilléin is also a four-time finalist at the UK's Strongest Man, most recently finishing third.

“As an Irish athlete, some people ask why I go to UK’s Strongest Man. What most people don’t realise is when you’re doing a niche sport in Ireland, you have to take every opportunity that you possibly can.

"It’s a great competition, it’s a tough competition, and it gives me a lot of experience. I’m lucky I get to take part in it,” he said.

For Cilléin, competing outside Ireland is another opportunity to represent his country.

“Whenever I travel outside of Ireland for a competition, I get to wear the Tricolour on the back of my T-shirt. For me, that is one of the best feelings ever. To walk out there, wear the Tricolour, and be able to represent my country,” he said.

Behind his podium finishes is a commitment that extends well beyond competition day.

The year is divided between building strength and muscular endurance and preparing for specific events during competition season.

“I could be in the gym anywhere between three to six hours for a session,” he said. “I usually do two lower sessions a week, they take between four to six hours, then the upper body sessions take about three hours. I do two days of mobility training, which will be about two hours, focusing on stretching, doing yoga and bits like that.

“I try to walk as much as possible, being a bigger person, you need to keep your heart healthy and keep the body moving,” he said.

Between training, cooking, preparation, recovery and stretching, Cilléin dedicates around 30 to 35 hours a week to the sport, on top of coaching other athletes.

“My whole life revolves around the sport. It’s difficult work, but I am privileged to be suffering for the work that I want.” 

Most recently, Cilléin competed in Giant’s Live Ireland's Strongest Man, placing third overall.

His dream of reaching World's Strongest Man and becoming the first person wearing the Tricolour to place in the top 10 remains firmly in his sights.

Nine years after his sister pushed him towards his first competition, Cilléin has gone from a young man searching for direction to a two-time Ireland's Strongest Man champion.

Now, the Ballina athlete is chasing the next challenge and, ultimately, a place on the world's biggest Strongman stage.