The family of Geoff Capes, the legendary strongman and former World’s Strongest Man champion, announced his passing at the age of 75 on October 23. Known for his remarkable achievements in the world of athletics, Capes was also famous for his staggering 12,000-calorie-a-day diet, which has now come to light.
A remarkable daily intake
During his prime, the 6-foot-5, 27-stone athlete consumed an extraordinary array of foods, including an entire box of cereal, seven pints of milk, two tins of pilchards, three cartons of cottage cheese, two loaves of bread, a leg of lamb, two steaks, a dozen eggs, a pound of butter, a pint of orange juice, a tin of baked beans, a jar of honey, a grapefruit, and two tins of tuna daily. Despite this hefty intake, Capes insisted, “there was no fat on me,” attributing his remarkable physique to his intense training regime, which included lifting a total of 120 tons each week.
A life devoted to training
Capes, who remains Britain’s greatest shot-putter, set a national record that still stands 44 years later. His wife, Jill, played a crucial role in supporting his extraordinary diet, dedicating more than 12 hours a day to cooking for him.
“You are continually cooking or preparing some meal all day,” she shared in 1976. “We’ll start in the morning at about 7:30 and carry on right through until eight o’clock at night, and after that, he usually helps himself.” Despite the dedication to his training and diet, Capes never secured the Olympic medal he longed for, finishing sixth in the 1976 Montreal Games and eighth in the Moscow Games. Much of Capes’ food supply was sponsored, with a national chain of butchers providing him with meat and pilchards delivered in bulk. His impressive milk consumption—seven pints daily—was also funneled in for free, enabling his remarkable dietary needs.
A humble beginning
Born in Stoke Rochford, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, as the seventh of nine children, Capes left school at 14 to work as a coalman and agricultural laborer, where he famously loaded 20 tons of potatoes in just 20 minutes.
A family statement read: “The family of Geoffrey Capes would like to announce his sad passing today, 23rd October. Britain’s finest shot-putter and twice World’s Strongest Man.” Capes’ dedication to his craft and his unparalleled strength have left a lasting legacy in the world of sports.