Travis Ortmayer

Travis Ortmayer (born on August 9 1981, 6'4", 320 lb) is an American Professional Strongman athlete from Cypress, Texas. Travis travels the world competing against the strongest men with the goal of becoming the World Champion. Travis is also the owner of Athletic Nation [http://www.athleticnation.com/cypesstexas.asp] , an elite personal training gym. Travis is nicknamed the Texas Stoneman due to his dominance and expertise in the Atlas Stone strength events.

Travis's strongman training complex is called "The Unit" and his father, Roger Ortmayer, trains with him and also successfully competes. Travis is supported by his mom, Sonja Ortmayer, his sister, Tara Ortmayer, and his wife Lucy Ortmayer. Travis was born in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

trength Sports

Travis started out training Bodybuilding in his early teens and eventually decided to focus on strength rather than aesthetics by training and competing in Powerlifting. Travis then met Marshall White [http://www.americanstrongman.org/athletes/detail.asp?AthleteID=71] [http://www.marunde-muscle.com/marshallinterview.html] , who introduced him to the Strongman sport. In 2002, Marshall and Travis formed "the Unit" strongman training grounds in Cypress, Texas and started on their quest to become World Champions. Soon the Unit was joined by World's Strongest Man competitor Josh Thigpen [http://www.marunde-muscle.com/thigpen_interview.html] and Professional Strongman Jim Glassman [http://www.americanstrongman.org/athletes/detail.asp?AthleteID=53] [http://www.marunde-muscle.com/jim_glassman_interview.html] . Travis earned his ASC (American Strongman Corporation) Professional Strongman card by winning the 2004 NAS (North American Strongman) Amateur USA National Heavyweight Championships. Travis then set his sites on becoming the U.S. Professional National Champion (America's Strongest Man). Unfortunately, due to strongman politics at the time, a USA National Championship contest was not held in 2005.

IFSA (International Federation of Strength Athletes) split from the TWI (Trans World International) World's Strongest Man contest after the 2004 contest. IFSA is the official governing body for the Strongman sport. IFSA held the first ever Pan-American World Championship Qualifier in 2005 at Sao Paulo, Brazil. Travis Ortmayer competed in this qualifier and placed 2nd [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=69] . Travis also set a World Record for the Atlas Stones : Light Set strength event. His placement qualified him to compete in the inaugural 2005 IFSA World Championship being held in Quebec, Canada [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=71] . During the World Championship, Travis set another World Record in the Atlas Stones, this time with the Heavy Set. He beat the current "King of the Stones", Magnus Samuelsson. Travis ultimately placed 10th overall in the World Championships [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=73] [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=106] .

2006 became a rollercoaster year for Travis. He traveled extensively around the globe competing against the best strongmen in the world. He eventually won his first international competition in Cyprus at the IFSA Cyprus Grand Prix [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=148] . This was one week after attaining a pectoralis injury at the 2006 World Strongman Challenge in Tulsa, Oklahoma [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=145] . Travis set his sites once again on becoming America's Strongest Man and went on to win all three National Championship Qualifiers [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=158] . This made him a favorite for winning the National Championships in North Carolina.

At the 2006 USA National Championships, Travis suffered a setback by scoring low in the first event, an overhead pressing medley. Travis then went on to score a zero in the third event, the car squat. With 5 events left, Travis would have to win them all just for a chance to win. Travis succeeded in winning all of the remaining five events, still regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in National Championship history. However, it was not enough for the win. Travis was 1.5 points away from victory and took home 3rd place [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=166] . His performance however earned him praise and an eventually an invite [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=184] by the esteemed strength sport historian Terry Todd [http://www.edb.utexas.edu/todd-mclean/index.htm] to compete in his contest, the highly exclusive Arnold Strongman [http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Strongman] Classic contest, 2007, in Columbus, Ohio [http://www.arnoldsportsfestival.com/h_strongman.asp] . Travis also qualified to compete in the 2006 IFSA World Championship being held in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Travis's high volume of contests during his sophomore year took it's toll, as he attained a shoulder injury, a thyroid problem, and lost 25lbs. Nonetheless, he competed in the 2006 World Championships. He maintained his Atlas Stone : Light Set world record but lost his Heavy Set world record to the current World Champion Zydrunas Savickas. Travis ultimately placed 10th overall [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=180] [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=181] [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=182] .

Travis then went on to compete in the exclusive 2007 Arnold Strongest Man competition. He started out with a high score in the first event, the Timber Frame Carry. He also injured his right foot during that event. The timber frame dropped on his foot when, due to his long stride length, his heel made contact with the apparatus. This affected his performance in the next two events, the Appolon's Axle Overhead Press and the Hummer Tire Deadlift. During the Hummer Tire Deadlift, Travis injured his back due to an imbalance with how he was able to apply pressure through his feet. Travis was waived out of the competition by the attending doctor. Travis could not stay away though and came back to compete in the final event, the Circus Dumbbell press. Travis placed 10th overall [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=202] .

Travis then went on to compete in the 2007 Fresno Pro-Am (USA National Championship Qualifier). Travis won this contest [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=210] which qualified him to compete in the 2007 America's Strongest Man (USA National Championship). During the USA National Championship, Travis re-injured his back on the second event, the Tire Deadlift. Travis pulled out of the competition to prevent further injury [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=214] .

Travis has since gone on to compete in two team contests. The USA vs. World contest put on by Al Thompson [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=207] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA was his first. Travis and his team (Derek Poundstone [http://www.americanstrongman.org/athletes/detail.asp?AthleteID=56] , Van Hatfield [http://www.americanstrongman.org/athletes/detail.asp?AthleteID=45] , Nick Best [http://www.americanstrongman.org/athletes/detail.asp?AthleteID=80] , Walt Gogola [http://www.americanstrongman.org/athletes/detail.asp?AthleteID=5] ) pulled out a victory against the three of the top five European strongmen in the World, (Zydrunas Savickas [http://www.ifsastrongman.com/athletes/pro/Zydrunas/Zydrunas.htm] , Vasyl Virastyuk [http://www.ifsastrongman.com/athletes/pro/vasylvirastyuk.htm] , and Andrus Murumets [http://www.ifsastrongman.com/athletes/pro/AthleteProfile-AndrusMurumets.htm] ). The contest was a tie going into the final event, the Atlas Stones. Team USA pulled out a victory in Travis's signature event to capture the win overall [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=229] . His next team contest was the World's Strongest Nation held in the Ukraine. This time Team USA consisted of Travis along with Derek Poundstone, Tom McClure [http://www.americanstrongman.org/athletes/detail.asp?AthleteID=67] , and Brian Shaw [http://www.americanstrongman.org/athletes/detail.asp?AthleteID=76] . Team USA place 2nd overall [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=235] .

Travis recently competed in the IFSA World Open Championships in Geumsan, South Korea. This contest consisted of three events and was a qualifier for the semifinals of the actual World Championship contest. Travis was victorious at the World Open. He competed in the semifinals held during the following two days. His 3rd place at the semifinals was not enough to qualify for entry into the IFSA World Championship.

Travis and his father Roger Ortmayer opened up the elite personal training gym Athletic Nation during early 2007. Travis worked the microphone at the Arnold Strongman contest in March 2008. Travis married Lucy Ashton on 3/8/2008 at his home in Cypress, Texas.

Travis took some time during late 2007 to let his body recover and to build up base strength levels. He achieved his goal of an 800lb deadlift on December 1 2007 in a powerlifting meet. Since then he has gone on to win every contest he's competed in to date, March 15 2008. In doing so, he has qualified for the World's Strongest Man Super Series 2008 and America's Strongest Man 2008. Travis was invited to compete in the Fortissimus - Decathlon of Strength competition held in Canada the last weekend of June.

Travis competed in the Strongman Champions League Latvia contest two weeks after his wedding and finished a close second behind Zydrunas Savickas. He beat out champion competitors like Mikhail Koklyaev, Andrus Murumets, and Oleksandr Pekanov.

On April 2 2008 the news was made public by Ironmind Enterprises that Travis was signing on to compete against Mariusz Pudzianowski and Derek Poundstone at the Madison Square Garden Super Series on June 21, 2008. This was to be be Travis's first encounter on the contest field against Mariusz Pudzianowski. Unfortunately, due to a knee problem and his commitment to the "Dancing With the Stars" Polish version TV show, Mariusz withdrew his name from the competition. On June 21 2008 Travis won the Madison Square Garden Super Series by defeating Derek Poundstone in a heated battle. Travis and Derek battled back and forth throughout the fastpaced contest, with Travis defeating Derek in his signature event, the Atlas Stones, to take the win overall.

On Tuesday, April 29 2008, Travis received delivery of a 600lb Atlas Stone, the heaviest in existence. The stone was made by professional stone maker Steve Slater in Lancaster, Ohio. It has a 300lb lead core and is inscripted with "King of Stones" in German.

TV, Radio, and Film Appearances

*Travis MC'd the Arnold Strongest Man 2008 competition.
*Travis appears on www.strongman.tv (the first international strongman IPTV channel - Internet Protocol TV) competing in the Los Angeles Fit Expo Super Series qualifier. The contest is archived for replay on demand. [http://www.strongman.tv]
*Travis is featured on the VERSUS (VS) network when the 2005, 2006, and 2007 IFSA World Championship broadcasts in the USA and around the World. Worldwide, the IFSA World Championship is broadcast on 41 television stations in 186 countries, reaching an estimated 527,000,000 households [http://www.ifsastrongman.com/pdf_downloads/tvreport.pdf] .
*Travis has made numerous worldwide tv and radio appearances for interviews and promotional purposes [http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2007/05/20/2638746.htm] .
*Travis will be featured in a movie documenting his competition history from the 2007 Arnold to the 2007 America's Strongest Man to the 2008 World Championships.
*Travis was highlighted in an episode of PressPassTV.com [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtNP_8Bz3EI] .

Personal Records - Strongman (Arnold Classic) (WSM/SS) (IFSA)

Atlas Stone
* 236 kg {520 lb 23" diameter to 48" height} {Unit Training Complex, Cypress, Texas}Ring of Stones: Light Set
* 19.20 Sec World Record (IFSA World Championship, Iceland} [http://www.ifsastrongman.com/ifsawr/] 5 Stone Series
* 12.8 Sec 114 - 182 kg {250 - 400 lb} Unofficial World Record (Cypress, Texas}Overhead Log Press
* 136 kg * 13 reps (300 lb} All American Challenge (Fit Expo) (Los Angeles, California}Timber Carry
* 393 kg {865 lb - 19.94 sec up 36' ramp} American Record, {Arnold's Strongest Man, Columbus, Ohio}SUV Deadlift
* 555 kg * 3 reps {1200+ lb} {USA National Championship Qualifier, South Carolina, U.S.} [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=162] [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=131]

Personal Records - Powerlifting (USAPL)

Squat
* 341 kg {751 lb} - December 1 2007, {Cypress, Texas}Bench Press
* 216 kg {474 lb} - December 1 2007, {Cypress, Texas}Deadlift
* 364 kg {801 lb} - December 1 2007, {Cypress, Texas}
* 366 kg * 2 reps {805 lb} - April 19 2008, {Ronnie Coleman Classic, Arlington, Texas}
* 395 kg {870 lb} - June 21 2008, {Madison Square Garden Super Series, New York, New York}Total
* 921 kg {2026 lb} - December 1 2007, {Cypress, Texas}

Achievements

Professional Competitive Record - [1st (13),2nd (6) ,3rd (8) - Out of Total(38)]
Performance Metric - .909 [American - .943 International - .875] FUTURE CONTESTS

*flagicon|USA Arnold's Strongest Man - Columbus, Ohio, USA - future contest (3/6-7/2009)
*flagicon|USA World's Strongest Man - Charleston, West Virginia, USA - future contest (September 2008)

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COMPLETED CONTESTS

*flagicon|UKR World's Strongest Nation Team Competition - Crimea, Ukraine - 4th place (8/6-8/2008)
*flagicon|CAN Fortissimus - Louis Cyr Strength Challenge - Notre-Dame-Du-Rosaire, Quebec, Canada - 5th place (6/28-29/2008)
*flagicon|USA Madison Square Garden Super Series (World's Strongest Man Qualifier) - New York, New York, USA - winner (6/21/2008)
*flagicon|South Holland Strongman Champions League - Holland - Varsseveld, Holland - 3rd place (6/1/2008)
*flagicon|LAT Strongman Champions League - Latvia - Riga, Latvia - 2nd place (3/22/2008)
*flagicon|USA St. Patrick's Strongman (USA National Championship Qualifier) - Columbia, South Carolina, USA - winner (3/15/2008)
*flagicon|USA Nutrition Depot Strongman Expo - Cypress, Texas, USA - winner (3/8/2008)
*flagicon|USA All American Challenge / Fit Expo (World's Strongest Man Super Series Qualifier) - Los Angeles, California, USA - winner (2/17/2008) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=267]
*flagicon|KOR IFSA World Championships-Qualifiers - Geumsan, South Korea - 3rd in heat (9/12/2007)
*flagicon|KOR IFSA World Open Championship - Geumsan, South Korea - winner (9/10/2007) [http://www.ironmind.com/ironcms/morenewsv6.php?id=2163#2163]
*flagicon|UKR World's Strongest Nation Team Competition - Ukraine - 2nd place (8/6/2007) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=235]
*flagicon|USA USA vs. World Team Competition - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - winner (7/1/2007) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=229]
*flagicon|USA America's Strongest Man (USA National Championship) - Charlotte, North Carolina, USA - injured (5/26/2007) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=214]
*flagicon|USA Clovis/Fresno Pro-Am (USA National Championship Qualifier) - Fresno, California, USA - winner (4/21/2007) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=210]
*flagicon|USA Arnold's Strongest Man - Columbus, Ohio, USA - 10th place (3/4/2007) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=202]
*flagicon|UKR Ukraine Strongman Contest - Ukraine - 6th place (2006)
*flagicon|ISL IFSA World Championship - Reykjavik, Iceland - 10th place (11/25/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=202]
*flagicon|LTU USA vs. Lithuania Team Competition - Lithuania - 2nd place (10/20/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=176]
*flagicon|LTU Lithuania Grand Prix - Marijampole, Lithuania - 8th place (8/19/2006)
*flagicon|UKR World's Strongest Nation Team Competition - Kiev, Ukraine - 3rd place (8/3/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=170]
*flagicon|USA America's Strongest Man (USA National Championship) - Charlotte, North Carolina, USA - 3rd place (7/22/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=166]
*flagicon|USA Liberty City Strongman Classic (USA Nationals Qualifier) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - winner (7/1/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=157] [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=158]
*flagicon|USA Utah's Strongest Man (USA National Championship Qualifier) - Utah, USA - winner (6/10/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=152] [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=154]
*flagicon|HUN Hungary Grand Prix - Eger, Hungary - 3rd place (6/5/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=151]
*flagicon|CYP Cyprus Grand Prix - Island of Cyprus - winner (5/28/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=148]
*flagicon|USA World Strongman Challenge (USA Grand Prix) - Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA - injured (5/21/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=145]
*flagicon|UAE Dubai Grand Prix - Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 4th place (4/25/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=139]
*flagicon|USA St. Patrick's Strongman (USA National Championship Qualifier) - Columbia, South Carolina, USA - winner (3/18/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=131]
*flagicon|USA Iron Man Fit Expo Strongman Championship - Pasadena, California, USA - winner (2/19/2006) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=113]
*flagicon|Netherlands Antilles IFSA World Team Championships - St. Maarten Island - 2nd place (12/10/2005) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=97]
*flagicon|UKR World's Strongest Nation Team Competition - Sevestopol, Ukraine - 3rd place (10/21/2005) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=83]
*flagicon|CAN IFSA World Championship - Quebec, Canada - 10th place (9/24/2005) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=106]
*flagicon|BRA Pan-American Championship - São Paulo, Brazil - 2nd place (8/20/2005) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=69]
*flagicon|USA Utah's Strongest Man - Mapleton, Utah, USA - winner (7/23/2005) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=65]
*flagicon|USA Liberty City Strongman Classic - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 3rd place (7/2/2005) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=60]
*flagicon|USA Hawaii's Strongest Man - Honolulu, Hawaii, USA - 3rd place (4/17/2005)
*flagicon|USA Kansas City Pro-Am - Kansas City, Missouri, USA - 1st place (2/26/2005)
*flagicon|USA The Fit Expo Strongman Championship - Pasadena, California, USA - 2nd place (2/19/2005) [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=49] Amateur Competitive Record - [1st (7),2nd (1) ,3rd (2) - Out of Total(12)]
Performance Metric - .941

*flagicon|USA USA Amateur National Championship - Heavyweight Division (NAS) (Amateur Platinum Plus Level Competition) - winner (10/10/2004) "earned ASC Professional Strongman Card" [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=25]
*flagicon|USA Midwest Open (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - Missouri, USA - 1st place tie (7/31/2004)
*flagicon|USA Strongman Record Breakers (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - Illinois, USA - winner (7/03/2004)
*flagicon|USA Music City Strongman (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - Tennessee, USA - winner (6/12/2004)
*flagicon|USA Show Me Pro-Am (Amateur Platinum Plus Level Competition) - St. Louis, Missouri, USA - 3rd place (5/08/2004)
*flagicon|USA Monster's of the Midwest (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - Missouri, USA - 3rd place (12/6/2003)
*flagicon|USA USA Amateur National Championship - HW Division (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - 12th place (10/4/2003)
*flagicon|USA South Carolina's Strongest Man (Amateur Gold Level Competition) - South Carolina, USA - winner (8/16/2003)
*flagicon|USA Texas's Strongest Man (Amateur Gold Level Competition) - Texas, USA - winner (7/12/2003)
*flagicon|USA Texas's Summer Strongman (Amateur Gold Level Competition) - Texas, USA - 2nd place tie (5/10/2003)
*flagicon|USA Pure Power Strongman Contest (Amateur Gold Level Competition [http://www.nastrongmaninc.com/levels.asp] ) - winner (4/26/2003)
*flagicon|USA Texas's Strongest Man (Amateur Gold Level Competition) - Texas, USA - 5th place (8/03/2002)

External links

* [http://www.travisortmayer.com/ Official Travis Ortmayer web site]
* [http://www.americanstrongman.org/athletes/detail.asp?AthleteID=52 Official ASC Professional Strongman Profile of Travis Ortmayer]
* [http://www.ifsastrongman.com/athletes/pro/Travis/travisortmayer.htm Official IFSA Professional Strongman Profile of Travis Ortmayer]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/texasstoneman Official YouTube web site of Travis Ortmayer]
* [http://www.americanstrongman.org/articles/detail.asp?ArtID=106 ASC 2005 "A Year to Remember for Texas Stoneman" article]
* [http://www.marunde-muscle.com/articles/ortmayer_interview.html Travis Ortmayer Interview courtesy of Mike Westerling]

References