DES PERES, Mo. — Firefighters often show strength in the face of adversity in the field, but a Des Peres firefighter is trying to prove that he’s the "World’s Strongest."
For years, Greg Van Mierlo has spent his days fighting fires.
“I love helping people,” Greg Van Mierlo said. “I love protecting those people that can’t protect themselves.”
However, Van Mierlo spends his nights at JD’s Gym in Mehlville.
“I started lifting in fifth grade," he said.
Picking up weights helps Van Mierlo put down the pressures of day-to-day life.
“I’m always trying to improve myself and set a good lead for others to follow,” he said. “It’s something that keeps my mind clear. It’s something that helps me mentally and physically do my job.”
After attending a bodybuilding competition with his family in the fall, Van Mierlo’s wife encouraged him to sign up for the World’s Strongest Firefighter competition.
“I did my research and it’s a lot of functional training,” he said. “It’s a lot of lifting odd objects. It’s a lot of things that are true in the firefighter business.”
Though he has decades of experience in the field and in the gym, this will be Van Mierlo’s first powerlifting competition.
“My goal is to just not embarrass myself,” he said. “Do what I can do, not get injured and I’ve already beat myself.”
He’s pushing his body to the limits of his capabilities to set a good example for not only his fellow Des Peres firefighters but first responders across the Show Me State.
“I think we need people doing things like this to motivate other people to get into our profession,” he said.
You can follow Van Mierlo’s progression in the World’s Strongest Firefighter competition by clicking here.
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