RNC crowns inaugural 'Strongest Student' champion

RNC hosted its inaugural 'RNC Strongest Student' competition on Saturday 7 June 2025, at thePoint4. This landmark fundraising event celebrated strength, determination, and inclusivity, with all proceeds dedicated to updating the flooring in the College’s student gym.

Pictured: The group of competitors, judges and volunteers (Photo credit: Tom Gullick/Pixel Valley)

Nine current and former RNC students, all either training or having trained as personal trainers or fitness instructors at the College, showcased their abilities across five gruelling events: Max Dumbbell, Deadlift, a 2.5-tonne Vehicle Pull, Max Yoke, and Sandbag to Shoulder.

The competitors included Rico Amediku, Kai Codrington, Chris Colbert, Freeman Fox, Eddie Gradinaru, Ishaq Islam, Tait Latham, Bilal Shah, and Jay Stallard.

The event was organised by Aaron Rees, RNC's Teacher in Charge of Sport and Recreation and a highly respected Strongman Coach. Aaron's impressive background includes competing in the World's Strongest Adapted Championship and formerly holding the title of Britain's Strongest Disabled Man.

'It was an absolute honour to organise the very first RNC Strongest Student competition, and I couldn’t be prouder of all the students who took part,' said Aaron Rees.

'The support for this event was incredible, clearly showing how popular and inclusive the sport of strongman has become. To the best of my knowledge, this marks the first time an inclusive strongman competition has been held within a specialist education setting — and together, we've demonstrated just how accessible and empowering this sport can be for visually impaired individuals.

Our competitors did an outstanding job, not only in their performances but also in fundraising for the replacement of the student gym floor. Last time I checked, we were nearing an impressive £1,800. A heartfelt thank you to all the organisations and individuals who helped make this event possible.'

Student Tait Latham, a Sport and Recreation student currently training to become a fitness instructor, secured an impressive second place. Reflecting on his experience, Tait commented:

'Going into the competition I was feeling pretty nervous but as soon as I finished the first event I felt the support of the crowd, and the atmosphere in the hall made me feel confident and comfortable and seeing how much all the other competitors were pushing themselves made me ready to push myself as hard as possible. I am ecstatic with how the competition went and my new personal best lifts, the one lift I was especially happy about was Event 2 the Deadlift. I destroyed my previous record of 100kg for 14 reps in one minute, by getting 110kg for 21 repetitions in 1 minute. Lots of appreciation goes out to Aaron Rees for training and teaching every single competitor and organising this amazing event, I don’t think it could have been set up better.'

The title of 'RNC's Strongest Student 2025' was claimed by Christopher Colbert, a former Sport and Recreation student who now works as a Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer in Doncaster. Christopher's victory was a significant personal achievement. He shared:

'I want to say a big well done to all of competitors that took part in the competition and all of the spectators that cheered us on. The competition was amazing and I loved being a part of it. This was my first strongman win and I will never forget it. One of my favourite quotes is "Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn't". I will look forward to supporting future events with Aaron Rees from an organising point of view.'

RNC extends its gratitude to all the sponsors who made this event possible: thePoint4, Lockwell’s Electrical Supplies, Red Penguin, Misfits Barbell Hereford, Isagenix Supplements, Pixel Valley – Graphic Design, and Optic-Exposure Photography.

A special thank you also goes to the Hereford stores that provided food and fuel to keep competitors and volunteers energised throughout the day: Papa Johns, Tesco, Morrisons, The Body Shop, Tiger, and Holland & Barrett.

The 'RNC Strongest Student' competition showcased teamwork and community spirit, and RNC is incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed to its success.

Awards were presented by Claire Lewin, Director of Learning and Curriculum, and the final standings were:

1. Chris Colbert
2. Tait Latham
3. Kai Codrington
4. Bilal Shah
5. Jay Stallard
6. Freeman Fox
7. Rico Amediku
8. Ishaq Islam
9. Eddie Gradinaru

Click here for more photos from the event.