Gregor Edmunds

Gregor Edmunds (born 1977) is a Scottish Highland Games competitor and strongman. Gregor is a winner of the World Highland Games Championships, Scotland's Strongest Man and former world record holder in 28 lb Weight throw event with a throw of 29.21 metres (95 ft 10 in) at Highlander Challenge at Markinch.^[1]

Gregor Edmunds

Personal information
Birth name	Gregor Edmunds
Born	(1977-04-25) 25 April 1977 (age 48) Ninewells Dundee Scotland
Occupation	Highland Games managing director
Height	6 ft 4.5 in (1.94 m)
Children	Izabella Edmunds
Medal record Highland Games Representing  Scotland IHGF World Highland Games Championships Champion IHGF World Highland Games Championships 2007 Highlander Challenge 2nd Highlander Challenge World Championships 2007 3rd Highlander Challenge World Championships 2008 Champion Highlander Challenge World Championships 2011 SHGA Highland Games World Championships Champion 2010 Colonial Highland Games Champion 2010 Champion 2011 Champion 2012 Markinch Highland Games Champion 2011 Braemer Highland Games Champion 2010 European Highland Games Championships Champion 2009 Stirling Highland Games Champion 2010 Scottish Highland Games Championships Champion 2008 London Scottish Rugby Club International Highland Games Champion 2010 Carumnock International Highland Games Champion 2010 Skye Highland Games Champion 2010 Loch Lomond Highland Games Champion 2010 Cuper Highland Games Champion 2010 Scottish Native Heavyweight Championships Champion 2011 Fergus Highland Games Champion 2008 Clash of the Celtic Giants Champion 2004 2nd 2005 Strongman Representing  Scotland Britain's Strongest Man 2nd Britain's Strongest Man 2002 2nd Britain's Strongest Man 2003 Scotland's Strongest Man 1st Scotland's Strongest Man 2002 Representing  United Kingdom World's Strongest Man 8th 2002 World's Strongest Man

Background

Edmunds was born in 1977 to Moira and Douglas Edmunds and grew up in the south of Glasgow.^[2] Edmunds' paternal grandfather, John Morris from Fife, is said to have been part of a gang of fervent Scottish nationalists that included the poet Hugh MacDiarmid, which planned to steal the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey.^{[citation needed]} Such was John Morris' strength that he was to be responsible for carrying the stone, and trained for this task by lifting a heavy steel ingot at his work at the Beardmore forge in Glasgow.^[2] The family changed the name from Morris to Edmunds because John was convicted of bigamy and desertion. Gregor Edmunds' great-grandfather, also called John Morris, fought for money in boxing booths. Gregor's father, Douglas was the World Caber Tossing Champion in the 1970s and wrote an autobiography titled "The World's Greatest Tosser". Douglas was also a founder of The World's Strongest Man competition.^[2] Despite being immersed in strength sports Edmunds initially asked for a skateboard for his tenth birthday but was given a shot put.^{[citation needed]} Following in his father's footsteps, he began training for Highland Games events and at the age of 17 he was Scottish Junior Highland Games Champion. Additionally, he studied and completed an HND in Sports Therapy Twickenham.^[3]

Career

After winning the Scottish Junior Highland Games Championship he went on to compete in Highland Games events around the world. Like with his father he competed in the Braemar Gathering. They remain the only father and son combination to have won the famous Braemar Caber and the overall points championship.^{[citation needed]} In 2007 he became IHGF World Highland Games Champion,^[2] ending a five-year American hold on that title. In 2010 Edmunds won the SHGA World Championship. Edmunds also competed successfully in strongman competitions, winning the title of Scotland's Strongest Man in 2002 and going on to compete at the World's Strongest Man reaching the grand finals and finishing in 8th place. He was also second in Britain's Strongest Man in 2002 and 2003.

Gregor set an SHGA Highland Games world record in the 28 lb Weight throw (weight for distance) at the 2011 Markinch Highland Games on 5 June 2011.^[4] His throw of 29.21 metres (95 ft 10 in) surpassed Matt Sandford's 28.81 metres (94 ft 6 in)^[4] and was officially recognized as the biggest throw of all time.^[4] It remained unbeaten for 7 years until Spencer Tyler threw 29.29 metres (96 ft 1 in) in 2018 Topeka Highland games.

Gregor won the 2011 Highlander Challenge on 18 June 2011.^[1]

The Highlander Challenge

Main article: Highlander Challenge

The lack of young Scottish Highland Games competitors led Edmunds and his father to organise the Highlander Challenge.^[2] In 2007 the Highlander Challenge was successful in achieving record-breaking viewing figures for its time slot enough to spawn a larger event in 2008 at Scone Palace.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Gregor currently lives in Glasgow on his father's estate in the village of Carmunnock on Glasgow's south side.^{[citation needed]} Gregor is divorced and has one daughter. ^{[citation needed]}