March 9, 2021 5.20 pm This story is over 36 months old

Lincoln strongman adds competition into his next charity challenge

Marking a decade of challenges in memory of a special friend
Lincoln strongman Dave Johnson has completed over 20 charity challenges since 2011. | Photo: Bretts photography

A strongman from Lincoln is preparing for his latest charity challenge and is adding a competition element to get others involved.

Dave Johnson will once again be doing the challenge in memory of his close friend Mark Browne, who passed away in 2012 after a battle with cancer. He has completed over 20 charity challenges since the first one in 2011.

Although this year’s charities are still being finalised, Dave has already set the wheels in motion for several competitive strength challenges at Flying Hire’s compound in North Scarle on July 10, 2021.

This year he is opening it up for other people to enter and take part. The entry fee is £25 with all proceeds going to charity.

See more information here and a payment link will be added to the group in the near future.

The event will include 15-tonne and 23-tonne truck pulls, which will incorporate a time trial competition.

There will also be a 40-tonne challenge with Flying Hire’s equipment loaded onto the 23-tonne lorry for Dave and others to try and pull.

Simon Knowles, Mark Anglesea, Ashton Reid, Dave Thornton and Dave Johnson all took part in a charity challenge Flying Hire’s compound in North Scarle.

Dave told The Lincolnite: “A lot of people through the years have said they wanted to try it and I also wanted to vary the challenges, so I am making it a competition so others can have a go and experience a strongman event.

“Originally I said to Mark that out of respect for him I would do the challenges for as long as I could in his memory and raise money for cancer on his behalf.

“Every year I have done it in his memory and the fact we can help charities is always a bonus.

“I’ve never pulled anything around the 40-tonne mark, so that will be interesting. This event will be new to a lot of people and I’m looking forward to it, but no doubt I will be nervous on the day.”

Strongmen Andy Bainbridge, Justin Beedham and Dave Johnson each carried a 150kg yoke four miles at a disused car park in Lincoln.

Dave’s most recent challenge in December 2020 saw him, along with three other strongmen, carry a 150kg yoke four miles each at a disused car park, formerly of Better Gym, on Tritton Road in Lincoln. Dave said this was the equivalent to a carrying a 24 stone person.

Over £300 was raised for the Salvation Army and the Bearded Fishermen Charity.

Dave pulling a truck as part of one of his many charity challenges.

Strongmen Dave Johnson, Mark Stocks (owner of Stocky’s Gym in Gainsborough), Ashton Reid, Simon Knowles, Dave Thornton and Mark Anglesea.

Back in June 2018 Dave was also named as The Lincolnite of the week.

Dave’s previous charity challenges have included pulling trucks dressed as Santa, dragging a 53-seater coach and deadlifting an Audi A4.