Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
Hafþór in 2017
Born	Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (1988-11-26) 26 November 1988 (age 36) Reykjavík, Iceland
Other names	The Mountain Thor Ljónið
Alma mater	FB Breiðholt
Occupation	Strongman actor powerlifter boxer
Years active	2010–2020, 2024–present (strongman)
Known for	World's Strongest Man (2018)
Height	2.05 m (6 ft 9 in)
Spouse(s)	Kelsey Henson ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	2

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (born November 26, 1988) is a famous strongman and actor from Iceland. Many people think he is one of the greatest strength athletes ever. He is the only person to win the Arnold Strongman Classic, Europe's Strongest Man, and World's Strongest Man competitions all in the same year. He also holds the world record for the heaviest deadlift, lifting an amazing 505 kg (1,113 lb).

Hafþór has won 31 international strongman competitions. This makes him the third most successful strongman in history. He has also broken 125 world records for strength. Because of his incredible power, many experts call him "the strongest man to have ever lived."

You might also know Hafþór from TV. He played a character called "The Mountain" Ser Gregor Clegane in the HBO show Game of Thrones for five seasons. People often call him "Thor" or "the Mountain" because of his huge size and his character in the show.

In March 2023, Hafþór was honored by being added to the International Sports Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Hafþór was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, on November 26, 1988. When he was eleven, his family moved to Kópavogur. As a child, he had a lot of energy and found it hard to sit still in class.

He loved sports from a young age. He played soccer and did gymnastics. In eighth grade, he found his true passion: basketball. He also enjoyed playing chess and video games.

Hafþór was tall and thin as a teenager. He became stronger by exercising daily. He did basic moves like push-ups and chin-ups. He also worked on his grandfather's farm in the summers, lifting large natural stones. His height of 205 cm (6 ft 9 in) comes from his tall parents and grandfather. Hafþór has two sisters, Bryndís and Hafdís.

Basketball Career

Hafþór started his sports journey as a basketball player. He played as a center and weighed about 105 kg (231 lb). He began playing for the Breiðablik club in Iceland in 2004.

The next year, he moved to FSu Selfoss. But he found out he had been playing with a broken ankle bone and needed surgery. After he got better, he joined KR, a top Icelandic team, in 2006. However, a screw in his ankle broke, and he needed a second surgery. This made him miss the rest of the season.

In the 2007–2008 season, Hafþór returned to FSu Selfoss. He helped his team get promoted to a higher league. But his ankle problems continued. He had to stop playing basketball at age nineteen. This ended his dream of playing in the NBA.

Between 2004 and 2006, Hafþór played 32 games for Iceland's junior national basketball teams. He also played 8 games for the U-18 national team. He won the Nordic championship with the U-16 team in May 2004. He also helped Iceland get promoted in the U16 European Championship. In 2006, he won the Nordic championship again with the U-18 team.

Strongman Career

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson

At the 2015 Caledonian Club Highland Games, trying the 12 kg Scottish Stone Put.
Personal information
Height	205 cm
Weight	180–210 kilograms (397–463 lb)
YouTube information
Years active	2013–present
Genre	Strength training/Strongman
Subscribers	926k (16 July 2025)
Total views	333.96 million (16 July 2025)
Sport
Sport	Strongman
Medal record Representing  Iceland World's Strongest Man 6th 2011 World's Strongest Man 3rd 2012 World's Strongest Man 3rd 2013 World's Strongest Man 2nd 2014 World's Strongest Man 3rd 2015 World's Strongest Man 2nd 2016 World's Strongest Man 2nd 2017 World's Strongest Man 1st 2018 World's Strongest Man 3rd 2019 World's Strongest Man Arnold Strongman Classic 10th 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic 8th 2013 Arnold Strongman Classic 5th 2014 Arnold Strongman Classic 7th 2015 Arnold Strongman Classic 5th 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic 2nd 2017 Arnold Strongman Classic 1st 2018 Arnold Strongman Classic 1st 2019 Arnold Strongman Classic 1st 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic 4th 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic 3rd 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic World's Ultimate Strongman 1st 2018 World's Ultimate Strongman Rogue Invitational 2nd 2024 Rogue Invitational Shaw Classic 2nd 2024 Strongest Man on Earth Europe's Strongest Man 1st 2014 Europe's Strongest Man 1st 2015 Europe's Strongest Man 2nd 2016 Europe's Strongest Man 1st 2017 Europe's Strongest Man 1st 2018 Europe's Strongest Man 1st 2019 Europe's Strongest Man World's Strongest Viking 1st 2014 World's Strongest Viking 1st 2015 World's Strongest Viking Giants Live 1st 2014 FitX Australia 1st 2015 Giants Live Iceland (Viking Challenge) 1st 2015 Sweden Strongman Champions League 1st 2013 Latvia 2nd 2013 FIBO Germany 2nd 2013 Netherlands 2nd 2013 China 3rd 2013 Russia 3rd 2013 Brazil 1st 2014 Serbia 1st 2014 Finland 1st 2014 Netherlands 1st 2014 Malaysia 1st 2015 Bulgaria 1st 2015 Croatia 1st 2024 Dubai Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic 2nd 2010 Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic 1st 2012 Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic Arnold Pro Strongman World Series 1st 2016 Brazil 1st 2016 Australia 1st 2016 South Africa 1st 2017 Forts de Warwick 2nd 2024 UK Força Bruta 2nd 2013 Força Bruta 3rd 2014 Força Bruta Siberian Power Show 2nd 2025 Siberian Power Show King of the Castle 1st 2012 King of the Castle Battle of the North 1st 2014 Battle of the North WoW Stronger 1st 2017 WoW Stronger World's Strongest Team 1st 2012 World's Strongest Team with Jarno Jokinen 1st 2015 World's Strongest Team with Matjaz Belsak Iceland's Strongest Man 3rd 2010 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2011 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2012 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2013 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2014 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2015 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2016 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2017 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2018 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2019 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2020 Iceland's Strongest Man 1st 2024 Iceland's Strongest Man Strongest Man in Iceland 1st 2010 Strongest Man in Iceland 1st 2011 Strongest Man in Iceland 1st 2012 Strongest Man in Iceland 1st 2016 Strongest Man in Iceland 1st 2017 Strongest Man in Iceland Iceland's Strongest Viking 1st 2010 Iceland's Strongest Viking 1st 2011 Iceland's Strongest Viking 1st 2012 Iceland's Strongest Viking Westfjord's Viking 1st 2010 Westfjord's Viking 1st 2011 Westfjord's Viking 1st 2012 Westfjord's Viking Grundarfjord Viking 3rd 2009 Grundarfjord Viking Highland Viking 3rd 2009 Highland Viking 1st 2010 Highland Viking Eastfjord Strongman Championships 2nd 2009 ESC 1st 2010 ESC 1st 2012 ESC Akranes Strength Challenge 1st 2011 Akranes Strength Challenge OK Budar Strongman Championships 1st 2010 OBSC Outside of World's Strongest Man and Arnold Strongman Classic this list contains only the podium finishes. A full list is given under Competitive record

After his ankle injury, Hafþór started training like a bodybuilder. One day, Magnús Ver Magnússon, a four-time World's Strongest Man champion, saw Hafþór lifting weights. Magnús immediately saw his potential to become a great strongman. This led Hafþór to train with other strongmen like Stefán Sölvi Pétursson.

In 2012, Hafþór reached his heaviest weight ever, 210 kg (463 lb). He was nicknamed Ljónið (the Lion) because he kept getting bigger and stronger.

Iceland's Strongest Man Wins

With new friends and guidance, Hafþór became very good at strongman. He won many strongman contests in Iceland starting in 2009. These included Westfjord's Viking and Iceland's Strongest Viking.

In 2011, Hafþór won his first Iceland's Strongest Man title. This is Iceland's most important strongman competition. He was the ninth Icelander to win it since 1985. He continued his winning streak. In 2024, Hafþór won Iceland's Strongest Man for the eleventh time. This included ten wins in a row from 2011 to 2020.

International Strongman Competitions

The Strongman Champions League gave Hafþór a chance to compete internationally. He competed against the best strongmen in the world. From 2013 to 2015, he competed in many events across different countries. He won eight international titles and several silver and bronze medals.

In January 2015, at the World's Strongest Viking competition in Norway, Hafþór carried a huge log. It was 10-metre-long (33 ft) and weighed 650 kg (1,433 lb). He carried it for five steps, breaking a 1,000-year-old record set by Orm Storolfsson.

Europe's Strongest Man Titles

Hafþór won the 2014 Europe's Strongest Man competition in Leeds. He had placed fifth in 2012 and fourth in 2013. During the 2014 competition, he set a new world record in the Atlas stones event. He famously told a reporter, "I'm the future of strength, and I'm king of the stones!"

He won the title again in 2015. In 2016, he lost the title to Laurence Shahlaei due to a mistake. He won it back in 2017 after a tough battle with Eddie Hall. He won again in 2018 and 2019, becoming a five-time Europe's Strongest Man Champion.

Hafþór has also won other Giants Live events. This makes him the greatest Giants Live champion ever, with nine wins.

World's Strongest Man Victory

Hafþór first competed in World's Strongest Man in 2011, placing sixth. He was one of the youngest finalists ever. He placed third in 2012, 2013, and 2015. He finished second in 2014, 2016, and 2017.

Finally, in 2018, Hafþór became the World's Strongest Man. He won by a good margin over Mateusz Kieliszkowski. He was the third Icelander to win this title.

In 2019, Hafþór tried to defend his title but got an injury. He finished third overall. This gave him the longest continuous streak of finishing on the podium (top three) in World's Strongest Man history, with eight times in a row. Hafþór has also won more vehicle pulls and stone events than anyone else in the competition's history. He has always made it to the finals in all nine of his appearances. In May 2020, Hafþór announced he would not return to World's Strongest Man competitions.

Arnold Strongman Classic Success

Hafþór first gained attention at the Arnold Sports Festival in 2011. He placed second in the amateur competition. This helped him qualify for the Arnold Pro Strongman World Series. He went on to win several Arnold competitions in Brazil, Australia, and South Africa.

The Arnold Strongman Classic is known as the toughest strongman contest. Hafþór first competed in the finals in 2012, placing tenth. But he kept getting better. He placed second in 2017. In 2018, Hafþór won the 2018 Arnold Strongman Classic, beating the champion, Brian Shaw. He also broke the elephant bar deadlift world record, lifting 472 kg (1,041 lb).

Hafþór won the title again in 2019. He improved his elephant bar deadlift record to 474.5 kg (1,046 lb). He won for a third time in 2020. This made him one of only three people to win the Arnold Strongman Classic three times in a row.

After taking a break for boxing and powerlifting, Hafþór returned to the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic. He lifted 456 kg (1,005 lb) in the deadlift event. He finished fourth overall because he was recovering from a muscle injury. Two weeks later, he placed second at the UK Arnold competition. He broke a world record by lifting 350 kg (772 lb) ten times in 60 seconds. In the 2025 competition, he finished third.

World's Ultimate Strongman and Records

In 2018, Hafþór won the first-ever World's Ultimate Strongman competition in Dubai. This year was his most successful, as he won five major titles: Iceland's Strongest Man, Europe's Strongest Man, World's Strongest Man, World's Ultimate Strongman, and the Arnold Strongman Classic.

With his coach Sebastian Oreb, Hafþór greatly increased his strength. He could squat 445 kilograms (981 lb) in training and 460 kilograms (1,014 lb) in a competition. In February 2020, he deadlifted 455 kilograms (1,003 lb) for two reps. He was the first person to deadlift 1,000 pounds for two reps. Two weeks later, he lifted an unofficial world record of 480 kilograms (1,058 lb) on the elephant bar.

On May 2, 2020, Hafþór deadlifted 501 kilograms (1,105 lb) in Iceland. This broke the previous strongman deadlift world record of 500 kilograms (1,102 lb) held by Eddie Hall. The lift was shown live on ESPN, and Guinness World Records confirmed it as the 'Heaviest Deadlift of all time'.

On July 26, 2025, Hafþór broke his own world record. He lifted 505 kilograms (1,113 lb) at a competition in Germany. This set a new all-time world record for the deadlift.

Rogue Invitational and Shaw Classic

In 2022, Hafþór made a special appearance at the Rogue Invitational in Texas. He broke the world record for the one-arm weight over bar event. He threw a 25.5 kg (56 lb) weight over a 6.17 metres (20 ft 3 in) bar.

He also competed in the 2024 Strongest Man on Earth competition at the Shaw Classic. He finished second, winning four events. He also tied for second place at the 2024 Rogue Invitational.

Competitive Record Summary

Hafþór has had an amazing strongman career. He has won 58 first-place titles, 16 second-place, and 11 third-place finishes. This means he has been on the podium (top three) 85 times out of 103 competitions.

• He won 43.7% of his international competitions.
• He finished in the top three in 76.1% of his international competitions.
• He always finished in the top five in his national competitions.

Powerlifting Hafþór competed in powerlifting a few times. In 2011, he placed second in a competition. In 2018, he competed in Thor's Powerlifting Challenge. He lifted a total of 1,100 kg (2,400 lb). This was one of the highest raw powerlifting totals ever at that time. He won first place for squat, deadlift, and overall total.

In 2022, he competed again and lifted 970 kg (2,140 lb). In April 2023, he injured his left chest muscle during a bench press event. This forced him to stop competing for a while.

Highland Games Hafþór also took part in Highland Games. He competed in Iceland and the United States. He broke several world records in events like deadlift, stone carry, and weight toss.

Personal Records

Hafþór has set many personal bests and world records:

• Deadlift (standard bar): 505 kg (1,113 lb) (world record)
• Deadlift (elephant bar): 480 kg (1,058 lb)
• Squat: 460 kg (1,014 lb)
• Bench press: 250 kg (551 lb)
• Log press: 213 kg (470 lb)
• Atlas Stones run: 5 stones (120–200 kg (265–441 lb)) in 17.54 seconds
• Húsafell Stone carry: 186 kg (410 lb) for 98.16 metres (322 ft 1 in)
• Keg toss: 12.5 kg (28 lb) over 8.54 metres (28 ft 0 in)
• Viking ship mast carry: 650 kg (1,433 lb) log for 5 steps
• Plane pull: 40,000 kg (88,185 lb) for 24.90 meters uphill

Strongman Legacy

Hafþór won all the major strongman competitions during his career. These include World's Strongest Man, Arnold Strongman Classic, and Europe's Strongest Man. His 30 international wins make him the third most successful strongman ever.

Early in his career, he was known for events that needed stamina and athleticism, like loading races and stone carries. But he kept improving his brute strength for static lifts like deadlifts and squats. By 2018, he was a very well-rounded strongman. Experts say his performance from 2018 to 2020 was the "highest peak performance" of any strongman. During this time, he was almost unbeatable, only losing due to injuries. Hafþór's many wins and over 100 world records have made him one of the greatest strongmen of all time. Many experts believe he is "the strongest man to have ever walked the earth."

Boxing Career

On May 2, 2020, after breaking the Deadlift World Record, Hafþór challenged Eddie Hall, the previous record holder, to a boxing match. Even though he had no boxing experience, Hafþór learned the sport quickly. He trained with coaches Billy Nelson and Vilhjálmur Hernandez.

He changed his diet and lost 64 kg (141 lb) to prepare for boxing. He trained up to five hours a day, focusing on boxing, strength, and endurance.

Hafþór had his first exhibition match in January 2021 against Steven Ward. His second was against Simon Vallily in May 2021. These fights gave him real experience in the ring. On September 18, 2021, Hafþór fought Canadian arm-wrestler Devon Larratt. Larratt stepped in after Eddie Hall got injured. Hafþór won the fight in the first round by technical knockout (TKO).

The Mountain vs. The Beast

On March 19, 2022, Hafþór and Eddie Hall finally fought in Dubai. The fight was called "The Heaviest Boxing Match in History." Hall started aggressively, but Hafþór stayed calm. He focused on his jab and good footwork. Hafþór took control of the fight and knocked Hall down twice. Hafþór won the fight by unanimous decision.

Acting Career

Hafþór was chosen to play Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane in the fourth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones in August 2013. This was his first major acting role. He was the third actor to play the character but the first to appear in more than one season. He played the Mountain from season four to season eight.

In 2015, he played 'King Thor' in the Philadelphia Renaissance Faire. In 2018, Hafþór played Mongkut, the main villain in Kickboxer: Retaliation. He also played Big John in the film Operation Ragnarok that same year.

In 2019, he starred with Mike Tyson in the action film Pharaoh's War. In 2022, Hafþór had a small role in the historical fantasy movie The Northman.

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Other Ventures

Martial Arts Training

Since starting boxing, Hafþór has explored other martial arts. In 2020, he appeared on a show called Karate Combat. He also trained with UFC fighter Gunnar Nelson in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in May 2021. In December 2022, he had a sparring session with famous grappler Gordon Ryan.

Personal Life

Family

Hafþór has a daughter, Theresa Líf, who lives in Denmark with her mother. He visits her often.

In late 2017, Hafþór started dating Kelsey Morgan Henson, a fitness model from Canada. They met in Alberta. They got married in August 2018. On September 26, 2020, they welcomed a son named Stormur Magni Hafþórsson.

Nutrition and Health

During his strongman career, Hafþór ate a lot to maintain his size and strength. He would eat up to 8,000 calories a day. In his prime (2018–2020), he ate up to 10,000 calories daily. His meals were mostly carbs, protein, and fat. A typical breakfast might be eggs, bacon, and French toast. Lunch could be rice, steak, potatoes, and vegetables. He ate six to eight healthy meals a day.

When he started boxing in mid-2020, he reduced his calories to about 5,000 a day. This helped him change his body for boxing.

Hafþór sometimes had trouble sleeping after heavy meals because of his large body. In March 2017, he had a temporary health issue that affected one side of his face. He recovered later that year. In April 2023, he injured a muscle in his chest during a powerlifting event. He had surgery and is recovering well.

Businesses

In 2016, Hafþór helped start Icelandic Mountain Vodka, a spirits brand. He is also a co-founder and ambassador for Thor's Skyr. This is a traditional Icelandic high-protein dairy product. Hafþór also owns 'Thor's Power Apparel', which sells branded clothing. He is also an ambassador for SodaStream.

Images for kids

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  Hafþór in 2017

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  At the 2015 Caledonian Club Highland Games, trying the 12 kg Scottish Stone Put.

See also

In Spanish: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson para niños