Henry places in top 10 at national contest

By Sam Waller

Albany’s Parker Henry exceeded his expectations in his first time competing in the USS Strongman National Championships, placing ninth among 24 competitors in the Open Men’s Middleweight class (198 pounds or less).

Henry finished with a total of 65.5 points despite “zeroing out” in one of five events in the meet, held Saturday, June 3, at Hyatt Regency Dallas.

“I was expecting it to be highly competitive and went more for the experience of the competition. I was shooting to finish in the top half, but I wasn’t expecting to finish in the top 10. I wanted to compare myself to people who have been training longer than me, and now I know where my true place is.”

Henry, who first competed in strongman competition in January, said the result gives him confidence for the future.

“The main thing I took from this is to train more and do better next year,” he said. “I had good technique, and my training was good. I came out of it without any injuries or joint pain.”

Henry, a 2021 Albany High School graduate who works for Shackelford County EMS while he looks to become a firefighter, said training for competition has yielded the kind of benefits he hoped for.

“I am getting a huge physique from this kind of lifting,” he said. “It builds more raw power and strength and also has more applications to real-life scenarios. It helps out with firefighting.”

Henry said the next step he hopes to take is to qualify for the Arnold Amateur Strongman competition.

“I need to place on the podium at nationals, first, second or third, to earn an invitation,” he said. “I’d be competing against other countries like Poland, Norway, and Denmark. I’m not expecting that to happen in a year, probably more like five.”

By then, Henry will bump up a weight class to 220 pounds and under. After graduating high school at 160 pounds, he’s put on about 40 pounds through training for competition.

“It’s mostly muscle mass, which is the surprising part,” he said. “I don’t have to gain bulk.”

In the national competition. Henry started out with one of his best results, finishing fifth in the Sandbag Drag. The event entails dragging a 350-pound bag 65 feet across a finish line. Henry’s time was 15.37 seconds.

In the Lever Deadlift, Henry finished 12th after making four successful lifts in 28.63 seconds. The event requires competitors to lift a weighted beam from five points along the shaft of the beam. The farther back, the more difficult it becomes.

“It adds roughly 80 to 100 pounds for each station,” he said. “The last one was roughly a 680-pound pull.”

In the Axle Clean and Press, Henry finished in a five-way tie for fifth. Entries must lift an axle from ground to overhead as many times as possible in 60 seconds and must clean and press each time. Henry achieved two repetitions with no one getting more than three.

The Wagon Wheel 13-inch Axle Deadlift was the event that caused Henry to slip in the standings. He was among 10 competitors who failed to achieve a legal lift before the time limit.

Henry closed out the meet by placing 11th in the Texas Coin Hold, in which contestants must hold a metal plate with arms outstretched while maintaining contact against a pillar with buttocks and shoulders. Henry lasted 41.40 seconds.