Aboyne Games staff seek record-breaking strongman

HIGHLAND Games officials have issued a plea to help trace an elusive strongman who is one of the few people in the world to have completed a historic weightlifting feat.

File photo of a strongman at a Highland Games. Picture: Wiki Commons

The organisers of the Aboyne Highland Games in Aberdeenshire hope to invite Slovakian muscleman Peter Puszer to compete in this year’s event on August 2.

But all their efforts to contact the 5ft 7ins, 300lbs champion - last known to be working in an Aberdeen hotel kitchen - have failed.

Mr Puszer is a competitive weightlifter who has been named the Strongest Man in Slovakia.

He is one of the only people to have successfully completed the Dinnie Stones challenge, described by some as the “Holy Grail” of weightlifting.

Mr Puszer last completed the feat, which involves carrying two stones weighing a total of more than 350kg, at the Scottish Stones of Strength World Challenge in 2013.

Games chairman Ian Scott said: “We know that Peter Puszer has been successful in carrying the stones unassisted in the past and we would like to invite him to do the same again at the Aboyne Highland Games this year to see if he is still up to the challenge.

“We know that he used to work in a kitchen at an Aberdeen hotel, so someone must know where he is now.

“I would like to urge anyone with information about his whereabouts to please get in touch so that we can extend to him the invitation.”

The Dinnie Stones, or Stanes, are named after Donald Dinnie, who is said to be one of the world’s greatest strongmen with 20 Highland Games championships to his name.

He was a founding member of the Aboyne Games in 1867 and is famed for carrying the stones more than four metres over Potarch Bridge near Aboyne.

Anyone who can help trace Mr Puszer is asked to get in touch with organisers via the Aboyne Highland Games Facebook page.