Strong on Safety - World's Strongest Brothers talk safety in Shetland

Stoltman Brothers visit Sandwick Fun Day, Shetland Rugby Club, Shetland Weight Training Club and SSEN Transmission to spread safety and wellbeing message

The World’s Strongest Brothers – Tom and Luke Stoltman – headed to Shetland this weekend to spread the message of looking after yourself and others, both at home, at work or in the gym.

The Stoltman Brothers, including three-time World’s Strongest Man Champion Tom and two-time Europe’s Strongest Man Luke - were invited to spend the weekend in Shetland by SSEN Transmission, who helped organise a series of community events for the brothers to attend to spread their inspirational story and the importance of wellbeing.

This included a stop-off at the Shetland Rugby Club to share an inspirational talk on their journey so far to club members and their families, as well as a visit to the Sandwick Village Fun day.

Tom also shared his story around his experience with autism, and how he has learned to recognise, accept and embrace it as part of his life when it comes to his training and daily routines. As part of the Sandwick Village Fun day, the brothers got involved in a special ‘beat the goalie’ challenge, where Sandwick’s youngsters tried their best to get a goal past the 6ft 8” frame of Tom Stoltman!

Jarl Leigh Smith of South Mainland Up Helly Aa Squad also welcomed the brothers to the Sandwick Village Fun Day, where they met the rest of the locals in full squad Viking attire.

The Invergordon-based brothers also visited the Shetland Weight Training Club in Scalloway, where lucky gym members were given a special talk providing training insights and the importance of building and protecting mental resilience and wellbeing.

On Sunday around 40 team members working on SSEN Transmission’s Kergord to Gremista project downed tools and were invited to a special meet and greet with the Stoltman Brothers, who delivered a unique health, safety and wellbeing session.

With safety a key part of the brother’s daily lives both in their approach to training as well as prioritising their mental wellbeing, they were the perfect guests to deliver an inspirational talk about the importance of looking out for each other and staying safe at work.

Finally, St Ninian’s beach goers were treated to a special event – with Tom and Luke inviting community members to join them for a dip in the pristine waters to advocate more for the benefits that open water swimming can bring for one’s wellbeing.

World’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman said:

“We were delighted to be invited by SSEN Transmission to come to Shetland and meet such a friendly and supportive community. We managed to meet a number of groups with whom we shared our story and spoke on our experiences overcoming adversity, living with autism, team work, mental health, resilience, and lessons we have learnt along the way. Shetland is a beautiful place and everyone we met made us feel so welcome, it was a truly great weekend!

Europe’s Strongest Man Luke Stoltman added:

“As Tom has said, it was an honour to be invited to Shetland to deliver these talks. The team at SSEN Transmission organised a fantastic weekend for us, making sure we covered a lot in the short time we were there, even managing a cold dip at beautiful St Ninians beach before heading back home! Looking forward to coming back!”

Jake Watt, President of Shetland Rugby Club, said:

“The opportunity to engage with Luke and Tom Stoltman was a transformative experience. The insights shared on mental health, sport performance and the dedication required to excel at the highest levels of strongman and sport have undoubtedly left a lasting impact on our team's session.

“This closed session was more than just an event for us; it was an inspiring exchange that will elevate our team's approach both on and off the field. The club want to thank the brothers for travelling to Shetland as well as SSEN Transmission for organising the event."

Thea Groat, SSEN Transmission’s Community Liaison Manager said:

“At the beginning of the year I had the crazy idea to try and get The World’s Strongest Man and Europe’s Strongest Man, Luke and Tom Stoltman up to Shetland to carry out a health, safety and wellbeing talk to the site team working on our Kergord to Gremista project.

“Given their line of work and their amazing story to get to where they are now, I thought they’d be brilliant to hear from for both our site staff but also for various sports clubs in Shetland – so I was thrilled when they accepted our invitation to join us.

“Working with the community is a big part of our approach to our projects with SSEN Transmission and it has been fantastic seeing the Stoltman brothers be so enthusiastic and engage with the community across Shetland over the weekend. It was a brilliant opportunity to get together, spread such an important wellbeing message and have some fun.

“Thanks to everyone who made it along to one of our events and the many local businesses that supported to make the trip run as smoothly as possible!”

SSEN Transmission’s Gremista to Kergord connection project involves creating a 22km connection between the new Gremista Grid Supply Point (GSP) and the Kergord Substation, which is currently under construction as part of the Shetland HVDC link, using a combination of overhead line and underground cabling.

Once complete, the Kergord-Gremista link will provide a connection to Shetland’s local electricity distribution network, connecting the islands to the GB energy system for the first time and helping to secure Shetland’s future electricity supply.

Strong on Safety - World's Strongest Brothers talk safety in Shetland

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