Sulphur Springs native named World’s Strongest Firefighter

Andrew Burton, with the City of Rockwall Fire Department, won the title of World’s Strongest Firefighter at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Competitors at this international Strongman Corporation contest came from multiple countries in North America and Europe. A preliminary qualifying competition was held on Friday, March 3rd with approximately 100 competitors total in the men’s open (competitors weighing 231.8 pounds or more), men’s middleweight (less than 231.8 lbs.), and women’s weight class divisions. Andrew placed 4th in the preliminary competition, qualifying him to compete with the top 18 athletes at the Finals competition. Andrew placed 1st at the Finals competition to secure the international title of World’s Strongest Firefighter. 

Qualifying competition events included:

• Fatback Farmer Carry (260 lbs. per hand carried 40’, deadlifted for four repetitions, then carried an additional 40’, with an additional four deadlifts)
• Viking Press (260 lbs. for repetitions. Andrew achieved 18 repetitions in one minute.)
• Arm-Over-Arm Pull (rope attached to 800 lbs. pulled for 40’)
• Power Stairs (lifting three implements – 300, 350, and 400 lbs. – up three stairs with heights of 18” each)

Finals competition events included: 

• Ambulance Tire Deadlift for repetitions (575 lbs. – Andrew placed 2nd in this event with 16 repetitions in one minute.)
• Sandbag Carry (Three sandbags – 220, 250, and 300 lbs. – each carried 40’. Andrew placed 5th in this event.)
• Axe Hold (A 25 lb. axe was held laterally in each arm for time. Andrew placed 3rd in this event.)
• Fire Hydrant Load (Four fire hydrants, weighing 175, 200, 225, and 250 lbs., were lifted from the ground onto a four foot tall platform. Andrew placed 1st in this event, completing the task in 17 seconds.)

Andrew’s hometown is Sulphur Springs, Texas. He can be found on Instagram: @aburton428 (https://instagram.com/aburton428?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=).

Video footage of the Finals competition (starting with the Sandbag Carry event) is available at https://www.youtube.com/live/CB7pcTPyNRw?feature=share. 

Photo credits: 

• The photo with Andrew Burton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Fortune Feimster is courtesy the Arnold Sports Festival World’s Strongest Firefighter Event (https://www.instagram.com/p/CpYeZqVAi4U/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=).
• The photo of Andrew holding his awards is from Strongman Corporation (https://www.instagram.com/p/CpYjqnBDWle/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=).
• Photos of Andrew and Arnold Schwarzenegger are courtesy Derek Owens of Battle Axe Barbell (https://m.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=pfbid0b2DBpFysMNsNYG8hhFoJddB4VawYuWu59v5oHAR3ZzY6irB1BC8JgcGZm1ofjfhXl&id=1461579410, https://instagram.com/battleaxebarbell?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=