Derek Boyer


Derek Boyer is a Fijian-Australian world champion powerlifter, former professional strongman competitor and actor.

Strongman and powerlifting

Boyer has competed seven times in the World's Strongest Man contest, reaching the finals in 1997. He is the reigning 12 time Australia's Strongest Man, winning from 2000–2011. Boyer goes by the nickname "The Island Warrior". He has won numerous powerlifting titles in Australia.
Boyer currently holds the Guinness World Record for heaviest truck pulled, after he pulled a Kenworth K104 truck weighing 51,840 kg over a level 100 ft course in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, on 6 March 2005. He captured his 11th straight Australia's Strongest Man title on 5 June 2010.

Acting and television

Boyer has portrayed Bayman in and promoted the steel products company Orcon, as Orcon's "Man of Steel", featuring Orcon's trackside promotional efforts at V8 Supercars events where Orcon has been a sponsor of race teams, Larkham Motor Sport, WPS Racing and Ford Performance Racing. He took on the role of 'Thunder' in the revived version of the Australian television sports entertainment series Gladiators in 2008. He specialized in strength events like Duel, Whiplash and Sumo Ball, where he used his weight advantage.
Boyer appeared on Channel nine's The Footy Show on 19 August 2010 and with Shane Crawford attempted the world record for the most bench presses in a minute. With no practice at all he achieved 116 with the record standing at 121. In a later attempt on the record on 23 September on The Footy Show, Boyer managed to break the record completing 126 bench presses.
Boyer was featured on the SBS program "Housos" as a prisoner who takes a shine to the "white meat" of Dazza Jones. Boyer appeared on an episode of Big Brother and in 2014, he was featured on 7mate's Bogan Hunters as a celebrity judge.

Retirement and return to competition

On 14 September 2010, Boyer temporarily retired from strongman competition in a letter sent to Federation of Australian Strength Competitors president Bill Lyndon. He stated that he will be focusing on powerlifting and sumo wrestling in the future, although he quickly came out of retirement just six months later.