Eben was Australia’s only contestant in the world’s foremost strong man competition, which was broadcast on ESPN worldwide, after receiving a special invitation from organisers.
Only a month before the World?s Strongest Man competition, Eben had warmed up for the event by towing a Komatsu WA480 wheel loader six metres along the driveway of Komatsu?s Wacol facility in Queensland. His only help came from a rope tied to the wheel loader, a ladder attached to the ground to aid his footing, and the cheers from his workmates.
While the South African-born fitter at the Wacol facility did not perform as well as he had hoped, he says the event was a huge eye-opener, giving him renewed enthusiasm to push for the title again.
“I did well in a number of the events – like the loading race,” he said. “In that race you carry four 125 kilo anvils over a distance and load them up on a platform, and I had a good result in that.
“It was hard, being a rookie at that level, to know how hard to push. There were a couple of times when I held back to preserve my endurance, only to have something left at the end.
“For example, I missed out in the truck pull by just two seconds – but I know I was cautious at the start because I didn’t want to use myself up too much too early. Two seconds is nothing – I could have made that easily…
“I learned pretty quickly that when you’re up against the strongest guys in the world, you can’t really be cautious. I think, because of that, I didn’t quite reach my personal bests in some of the events.
“It’s all a learning experience – it was my first event and there were guys there with 10 years of experience in that level of competition.
“I’ve got a much better understanding of what’s required now – I’m not the biggest guy, so I need to use my agility to my advantage. Other guys can carry more, but they can’t move it like I can.?
Eben intends to gain another 10 kilograms for next year and is already planning his return to the 2013 World?s Strongest Man contest, starting with a qualifying event in Melbourne next March.
Source: Komatsu Australia