Williams Lake strongman Tyson Delay continues to bask in the victory of his latest performance at the 2025 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio on March 1.
“It’s one of the world championships for weight class athletes,” Delay told the Tribune. “I went out there and competed with, quite honestly, the best in the world and placed 11th out of 17 guys. Overall I kicked butt. It was the heaviest event we’ve seen on the world stage and I did very well. I’m very proud of myself.”
The yoke run was probably the biggest challenge for him at the Arnold Classic, he admitted.
“It was 120 feet with 750 pounds on my back.”
His best event, he said, was the trap bar deadlift where he placed sixth.
“I beat a world champion at it as well, which was very cool,” he said, adding it also involved lifting 750 pounds.
Attending the competition affirmed for Delay that he “does belong on the world stage” and he “deserves to go against the best in the world.”
“I could make these big guys sweat because seven of the 10 guys that were ahead of me at the competition at the end of the day, seven of them had either been on the podium at a world championship or had won a world championship.”
He beat national champions from the U.S. and other countries, he added.
An incredible experience, Delay said lifting ginormous sandbags and also lifting a 750 pound deadlift and yoke and then lifting a giant wooden log was “just crazy.”
After returning from the Arnold Classic, he made a last-minute decision in April to compete in the regional qualifier in Grand Prairie, Alta.
“It’s in a whole other weight class and because I’m pro now I can’t compete in my own weight class anymore unless it’s a pro show,” he explained.
Going to Grand Prairie gave him the chance to see some of his best friends in the sport and walking away with the win was a bonus.
“I love this sport and train very hard but had no prep for this show specifically so I'm very lucky to have walked away with a win especially in a much bigger weight class than I'm used to.”
As he eyes the near future, Delay will be training to compete in the next weight class up.
“I’ve been invited to Alberta provincials and my plan is to win Alberta provincials and then hopefully go to nationals and place there as well.”
If he achieves those wins and gains his pro card in the higher weight class that will give him a card in two weight classes, something he does not think anyone in Canada currently has done.
Outside of Canada he’s been invited to worlds again and to the Arnold Classic.
“I have two big international shows I’m for sure doing. There’s the Pro Strongman League in the U.S. They invited me after my Arnold’s debut.”
In April Williams Lake hosted a novice competition with the intention of getting more people interested.
On Saturday, May 10, Delay and his crew will host the regional Cariboo Strongest at the Real Canadian Wholesale Club parking lot.
For the first time ever they will also be hosting provincials in Williams Lake on Aug. 30.
Grateful for continued local sponsorship, Delay said it helped him get to Ohio and was "very, very" appreciated.
