Autism is my super power
He hopes titles will inspire children to chase dreams
THE Scot crowned World’s Strongest Man for the third time says he hopes he inspires kids with autism to achieve their goals.
Tom Stoltman, from Invergordon, Easter Ross, won the crown back in the US at the weekend to add to his wins in 2021 and 2022.
The 29-year-old was diagnosed with autism at the age of five and faced bullying at school because of his condition.
Now he wants to encourage others with the neurodevelopment disorder to not see it as a barrier.
He said: “Winning the title is special because it proves that having autism, having this super power, as I call it, you can do special things.
“I just want to let people know you can do anything you want to do.
“It doesn’t have to be World’s Strongest Man. You can be a footballer, you can be a runner, you can be anything you want.
“That’s what I say to kids and adults who have kids with autism – let them do their dream and if they don’t get there, then they have tried their best but never say they can’t do it.
“That’s why I am so thankful for my family. They let me live this dream and this autism that I have turned into a super power has been very powerful.
“People message me every single day and say, ‘You’ve changed my son’s life, you’ve changed my life’.
“These trophies are just a bonus. All the hard work shows that someone with autism can be just as great as normal people.”
The 6ft 8in athlete, who weighs 29st, said his next goal is to overtake the record of five world titles held by Poland’s Mariusz Pudzianowski.
Speaking about his latest win, Tom said: “I lost it last year so I knew I had to up my game, because the athletes are just getting bigger and better.”
People message me every day to say: ‘You have changed my life’
TOM STOLTMAN ON BEING A ROLE MODEL FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM