Geoff Capes – a life in pictures
At 17 years old, Geoff Capes is hitting the weights for some practice. Even as a kid, he showed great talent in sports, playing basketball, football, and participating in cross-country on behalf of Lincolnshire. He was also a respectable sprinter, clocking in at 23.7 seconds for the 200-meter dash.
After finishing school, he took on jobs as a coalman and a farm laborer. Considering these types of work, it makes sense that he channeled his physical strength into sports, eventually becoming a shot putter. His first significant event was the 1970 Commonwealth Games held in Edinburgh. In 1971, he posed with a week's supply of food.
Inspired by his grandfather, uncle, and older brothers, Capes joined the Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1970 and served in the police force for a decade. He left his position when he chose to participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, despite the British Government's urging to boycott the event, which ultimately led to his resignation.
In February 1974, shot putter Geoff Capes was seen with his two-year-old son Lewis. Geoff's athletic talent influenced Lewis, who joined his school’s athletics team and took part in shot put, along with rugby and water polo. After graduating from school, he relocated to the United States, where he became a member of the athletic team at Santa Monica College and played as a defensive end on the football team. Between 1995 and 1998, Capes played for the London Monarchs in the World League of American Football.
Capes is seen with his five-week-old daughter, Emma, in a photo from July 1974. Following in the footsteps of her father and older brother, Emma also participated in shot put, winning the title of English Schools' champion and earning a bronze medal at the Youth Olympics.
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In February 1976, Capes successfully defended his title at the European Indoor Athletics Championships, further increasing his collection of gold medals, which already included victories at the Commonwealth Games in 1974 and 1978.
In May 1976, Capes achieved a personal record of 21.55 meters (70 feet 8 inches) at a competition in Gateshead.
Similar to many leading athletes of that time, Capes was featured in the television show Superstars.
Capes must have really liked his Superstars shirt since he was wearing it while competing at the AAA Championships in Crystal Palace in July 1977.
Capes waves to the crowd at the Stadion Evzena Rosickeho in Prague while serving as the flag bearer for the Great Britain team during the opening ceremony of the 1978 European Athletics Championships. This gesture might have come after Capes contemplated skipping the event, citing accusations that athletes from Eastern Europe were using performance-enhancing drugs. He expressed, “There's no reason to compete against Eastern Bloc nations that disregard drug regulations.”
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In 1979, he began his journey as a strongman and triumphed in the first-ever Britain’s Strongest Man competition. Pictured here are Capes (on the right) and his fellow athletes alongside Barbara Windsor, who served as a host for the event.
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In May 1980, Capes achieved the longest throw of his career, reaching a distance of 21.68 meters (71 feet 2 inches), which set a new Commonwealth and British record. He entered the Olympics as the top contender for the year, but ultimately finished in fifth place. Capes expressed that his experience at the Games left him feeling "overwhelmed by disappointment."
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Capes made the transition to professional sports in 1980, with the Moscow Olympics marking his final appearance as an amateur competitor. He gained widespread recognition in Britain and beyond for his impressive strength feats, like tearing through telephone directories.
Besides his titles in shot put, Capes was a six-time world champion in the Highland Games and set world records in several competitions. In this photo, he's seen sharing a laugh with the Royal family at the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland in 1982.
In 1983, Capes set a remarkable strongman world record by pulling a 12.5-ton Mercedes Benz truck and trailer to the finish line in just 54.3 seconds.
During his time as an athlete and strongman, Capes was passionate about breeding budgerigars and eventually became a world champion in that arena.
Image credit: Tony Evans/Timelapse Library Ltd./Getty Images
Capes' background also resulted in several appearances on British TV, such as in the Supergran episode titled "Supergran Grounded."
Capes also performed on stage, taking on the role of Odd Job in the Theatre Royal Newcastle's 1991 pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, where he shared the spotlight with Linda Lusardi.
In March 1991, Geoff Capes was at Olympus in Reading, where he signed copies of his book.
After retiring, Capes effectively utilized his expertise by coaching several rising shot put talents at Loughborough University, including Rebecca Peake, who is part of the Elite GB Shot Put team.
Besides holding two Commonwealth titles and two European indoor titles, Geoff Capes is the most decorated British male athlete in history, having earned 67 international caps and achieved 35 victories, alongside another 35 caps representing England. He has secured 17 national titles in total, which includes seven victories at the AAA championship and three UK championships. In 1983, he was recognized as Britain’s greatest field athlete of all time.
Image credit: Eamonn McCabe/The Guardian
