Horror injury strongman aims to compete again

Dan Jones said his recovery after ripping both patellar tendons in 2024 was surprising everyone

Strongman Dan Jones, who last year suffered a horrific injury that went viral on social media, has said he is "still recovering, but I can do pretty much everything apart from sprint".

He ripped both patellar tendons when he raced with 80kg during a contest in September 2024 and feared his competing days were over.

Jones underwent surgery at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, and said he was surprising both himself and the specialists with how he was recovering.

Although the 30-year-old is aware he cannot compete in a full strongman competition again, his goal is to be involved in a static lift strength contest to "really round out the story."

Being part of a push-pull event, involving a log lift or deadlift, would be "just amazing mentally," he said, and would prove to others it was possible to come back from such a significant injury.

After it first happened, he said there was "no light at the end of the tunnel" as no-one knew how his recovery would be.

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"My surgeon had never done the same surgery on both knees at the same time, physios had never seen two knees at the same time," he said.

Jones said many big names in the strongman community had been wishing him well on social media, and he was pleased that people were inspired by his recovery posts.

He said he had been contacted by two other people in the UK who had suffered similar knee injuries, and it was a good to be "that little bit of light" for them.

"My page has had 45 million views in the last 12 months, it's crazy."

Dan Jones said it would be amazing to compete in a static lift strength contest

He said he could not thank medical staff enough for their support with his recuperation, and could not have done it without them.

He can walk, kneel, and squat down long enough to pick up his daughter, who is about to turn two.

"She's at that age now where she wants to play on the floor, run around and climb on me, and this time last year I didn't think I'd be able to do it."

Having done "everything" the physios and specialists have said, Jones said he was confident of a full recovery.