One (Very Tall Man’s) Fight for One More Inch

Hafthor “Thor” Bjornsson, who most famously starred in the Game of Thrones series and second most famously is a World’s Strongest Man competitor, stands 6’9”. He also has weighed as much at 436lbs.

He’s not a small guy. 

That said, he recently broke (another) world record. The event? The Weight Over Bar World Record, where the competitor tosses a 56lbs weight with handles over a cross bar. The strength athlete surpassed his previous record by just one inch, moving the record from twenty feet and two inches to twenty feet and three inches.  

When I saw his record effort, here’s what came to mind:

1. Who knew this event was a thing?
2. Was the inconceivable amount of work training and pushing edges for PRs in the gym worth a one inch gain? 

Obviously, these are rhetorical questions, but the point is still poignant. The takeaway is less specific to the answers to these questions, I think. It’s a reminder. 

We make meaning of our worlds. 

Not only do we make meaning of our world, we can use this meaning for remarkable transformational power. For Thor, the long, winding strength journey provides a context for immeasurable development that reverberates from the specific details of the task into the general elements of who he is as a person. 

My advice? Find your Weight Over Bar events and dig in deep for one more inch.