Brian Way鈥檚  introduction to the sport came by chance.

Working at a bar at the time, a colleague 鈥� who happened to compete in Strongman competitions 鈥� needed a training partner.

Way, who had a football and rugby background and loved working out, decided to help him out.

The pair would go through the grueling training exercises, both in the gym and in the specific individual competitions.

鈥淎nd in the process, I realized 鈥業 can do this,鈥� Way said.

鈥淢aybe not as many reps and not as fast (as him), but I can lift the stuff.鈥�

This was in 2005 and Way pledged he would devote himself to the sport and begin competing the following year.

He fulfilled that promise and has been competing ever since.

鈥淚 love doing it, it is such a blast,鈥� he said.

Standing six-foot-two and weighing 305 pounds with a thick, muscular build, Way can move a 12,000-pound semi-truck and lift a 300-pound atlas ball to eye level.

While some of the weight amounts may not be an eye-popping number, Way says it can be awkward lifting some of the objects.

The 36-year-old from 91原创 grew up playing football and rugby. His skills along the defensive line earned him a football scholarship to Nova Scotia鈥檚 St. Francis Xavier University.

He did play a year of semi-pro football with the now-defunct B.C. Spartans, who played out of McLeod Park.

But Strongman has filled that void.

Way loves the fact he can stay competitive, while staying in a fairly good-natured environment.

鈥淎s much as it is an individual competition as opposed to the team stuff I was used to, everybody is in it for the same reason,鈥� he said, calling the camaraderie in the sport as very supporting and encouraging.

鈥淚t is a pretty good network of guys,鈥� he said.

Way typically trains every day, either in the gym with the weights or in one of the Strongman events.

Some days he works out at 91原创鈥檚 Fitness Unlimited, while on other days he takes advantage of the gym at his workplace in North Vancouver.

Way works for ICBC in their account services department, working on claim recovery and debt collection. While some may visualize a debt collector as a heavy-handed enforcer out to get the money, the reality is that Way is helping people work out payment plans.

鈥淔inance geek stuff,鈥� is how he describes it. Way is also studying to earn his certified insurance professional designation.

And while he may look the part of a tough guy, looks can be deceiving.

鈥淎nyone who really knows me, knows I am just a gentle giant,鈥� he says.

This Saturday (Nov. 19), Way will be competing at the first annual B.C. Strongman Competition at the Vancouver Men鈥檚 Show at Abbotsford鈥檚 Tradex.

The competition features events such as the 650-pound monster truck tire flip, a 50-foot carry with 240 pounds of steel in each hand, a 500-pound yoke walk (where competitors carry a crossbar with two weighted uprights), and a medieval hammer hold.

Way typically does a minimum of four competitions per year, but this will be his sixth of 2011. The competitions are run through B.C. Extreme Athletics.