Tom Butts Wins the Pro Strongman League European Title in a Heavier Class

Vegan strongman Tom Butts has won the Pro Strongman League European Championships in Carlisle, England, in his first outing after moving up from the u90kg class to u105kg.

Bigger opponents made no difference. Butts tied for first in the 300kg axle deadlift for reps, won the sandbag killer medley in 38 seconds and won the farmers and keg carry in 19.2 seconds. He was third in the 130kg log for reps and took seven atlas stones to seal the title, according to Great Vegan Athletes.

Finishing top 3 in each event was a big win for me.

It's a big step. Butts made his name in the lighter class, winning the natural world title three years running before deciding to test himself against heavier men.

He went vegan in 2020 after transitioning over most of the previous year, and he's clear that it was "purely for animal ethics and not wanting to contribute to animal agriculture." Performance was never the reason, but it hasn't held him back. Fueling for training is simple, he told Viva!: "Typically I'll have an oat shake for breakfast before training."

He wasn't the only plant-powered winner in Carlisle. French vegan Angeline Berva won all five events to take the women's u82kg title.

Regular readers will know Butts well: he won the world natural strongman title in 2023, retained it in 2024 and made it three in a row last year. Berva, meanwhile, set an axle deadlift world record and won Europe's Strongest Woman in 2025.

New weight class, same result. No meat, no problem.