Derek Poundstone

Derek Anthony Poundstone (born September 28, 1981) is an American police officer, former professional strongman and strength coach from Woodbridge, Connecticut.

Poundstone moved to Waterbury, Connecticut in 1999.

Poundstone began his sporting career by competing in powerlifting, encouraged by a local champion, and progressed to become the Connecticut State Champion.

He started competing in strongman after finding an advertisement for a contest on the back of a powerlifting Flyer.

After earning his Professional Strongman card from the ASC (American Strongman Corporation), Poundstone took two years off competing to enter the Police Academy and become a police officer in Naugatuck, Connecticut.

He returned to compete in strongman, and placed fifth in the 2006 St. Patrick's Strongman National Qualifier.

Poundstone then went on to place 2nd to the current IFSA World Champion Žydrūnas Savickas in the 2006 World Strongman Challenge contest in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Next, Poundstone placed 5th in the 2006 America's Strongest Man contest.

This earned him an invitation to the 2006 IFSA World Championships.

On October 26, 2006, two weeks before the IFSA World Championships, Poundstone severely injured his lumbar spine during training while attempting a maximum effort deadlift of 366 kg (805 lb).

Poundstone had a lumbar disc herniation (L4/5) and a massive spinal cord hemorrhage.

Doctors told him that he would never lift again due to the severity of the injury.

Poundstone placed 4th overall in his first appearance at the World Championship, 2 points behind Mikhail Koklyaev and 1 point behind the 2006 World Champ Žydrūnas Savickas.

Vasyl Virastyuk won the competition, becoming the first athlete to win both the World's Strongest Man Title and the IFSA World Championships.

Poundstone's performance was the best ever recorded by an American at the IFSA World Championships.

Poundstone's return to the strongman competition circuit was the 2007 St. Patrick's Strongman contest in Columbia, South Carolina.

Poundstone won by 13.5 points and overcame his deadlifting injury fear by completing a 364 kg (800 lb) deadlift during the competition.

This victory qualified Poundstone to compete in the 2007 America's Strongest Man contest, which Poundstone won by a record 30 points.

Poundstone also qualified to compete in the 2007 IFSA World Championships in Geumsan, South Korea.

Poundstone competed in the 2007 IFSA World Championship held in Geumsan, South Korea.

Poundstone was in 2nd position throughout the entire competition until the last event.

During the final event, Poundstone ripped open his hands during the Farmer's Walk event, which caused him to drop the implements.

He was the runner-up at the 2008 World's Strongest Man, a two-time Arnold Strongman Classic champion (2009 and 2010), and a three-time winner of America's Strongest Man (2007, 2009, 2010).

Poundstone is also a high-ranking officer for the Naugatuck, Connecticut Police Department and is the former owner and landlord of an apartment complex and gym.

Poundstone was born into a military family at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Elmore County, Idaho.

He lived in Spain and Italy until he was 10, after which the family settled in Rapid City, South Dakota, where Poundstone began lifting weights at the local YMCA branch.

Additionally, Poundstone received an invitation from Dr. Terry Todd to compete at the 2008 Arnold Strongman Classic, in Columbus, Ohio.

Poundstone also competed in two Team Strongman contests and a Highland Games/Strongman hybrid contest.

First was the USA vs. World team contest put on by Al Thompson in Philadelphia.

Poundstone and his team (Travis Ortmayer, Van Hatfield, Nick Best, Walt Gogola) pulled out an unprecedented victory against three of the top five European strongmen in the World, (Žydrūnas Savickas, Vasyl Virastyuk, and Andrus Murumets).

Team USA won the first three events and Team World won the next three events.

Team USA won with a victory in the final event, the Atlas Stones.

Poundstone's next contest was in Callander, Scotland at the World Highland Games contest.

This contest was a Highland Games / Strongman hybrid.

Poundstone won the event and set two world records.

Poundstone broke Igor Pedan's 9 rep 125 kg (275 lb) Log Clean and Press World Record by powering through 13 reps, with 130 kg (286 lb).

Poundstone also broke Žydrūnas Savickas, 140 kg (308 lb) Block Press World Record by pressing out a 145 kg (319 lb) block.

Poundstone's next contest was a team contest, the World's Strongest Nation held in Ukraine.

This time Team USA consisted of Poundstone along with Travis Ortmayer, Tom McClure, and Brian Shaw.

Team USA placed 2nd overall behind Team Ukraine led by Vasyl Virastyuk.