IfIf you’ve ever walked into a gym, seen someone putting a log overhead or loading a giant stone onto a platform, and wondered what kind of madness you’re witnessing, this story is for you. In a recent episode of the Bacon, Bibles, and Barbells podcast, Coach Justin and Coach Amanda sat down with master’s strongman athlete Ian “Vanilla Gorilla” Bracken—qualifier for OSG Worlds (Official Strongman Games). His journey isn’t just about deadlifting absurd weights or hoisting vehicles. It’s about how a kid with a rough start became a world-level competitor, why strongman is one of the most welcoming sports around, and how he pursues massive goals while juggling family life, injuries, work, and even Type 1 diabetes.
The Moment Strongman “Clicked”
Ian didn’t come from a polished athletics background. He grew up in Missouri lifting with sand-filled plates in a basement gym, inspired by bodybuilding legends like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler. Being the biggest of four kids, he assumed he was naturally strong—until he walked into a Texas high school weight room. Other guys were squatting nearly 800 pounds and benching 400 while he was fighting for 95 pounds on bench. Instead of shrinking from that embarrassment, he made a vow that he would never be the weakest again.
That determination carried him to Baylor University as a walk-on defensive tackle. But his football journey was marked by injuries—a torn ACL during church basketball, a surgically repaired collarbone caused by muscular imbalances, and recurring setbacks that eventually forced him to step away to work and support himself. For years, stepping away from football felt like a regret. But that closed door nudged him toward something far bigger: strongman.
Discovering Strongman in a Tiny Metal Gym
Years later in Waco, Ian walked into a small metal building that would become Underground Performance. That day the crew was doing Atlas stones, axle clean and press, and other odd-object strongman work. There was an axle bar with flat tires on the ends—maybe 100 pounds. Ian picked it up with one hand and tossed it overhead. He knew instantly: I can do this.
From that moment, he immersed himself in the niche world of strongman, training like an athlete long before he could afford to compete. But life piled up—work, responsibilities, and eventually fatherhood. He quit the gym in 2017 to save money and be the dad he wanted to be. His weight climbed to 383 pounds and 38% body fat. Then, in 2020, working from home and a neighbor with a garage gym gave him a second chance. They built a small training community, and Ian quickly rediscovered his strength. He blasted past his long-time goal of a 405 bench, and something inside reignited. He told his wife, “I’m going to be the World’s Strongest Man,” and she believed him. His first TikTok was a photo next to Eddie Hall with the caption: I’m coming for that trophy 2024. By 2024, he stepped onto the OSG Worlds stage—not as a spectator, but as a competitor.
First Show, First Wake-Up Call
Ian’s first strongman show was Big Tex 2022 in Austin. He planned to go in as a novice, just to get a feel for it. Pro strongman Tommy Sharp shut that down immediately: “You’re too strong for novice. Go open super heavyweight and believe in yourself.” The events were brutally heavy—he had never hit the log weight, never touched the yoke weight, never loaded the stone weight in training. To make things even crazier, this was only seven months after tearing his bicep completely off the bone.
He expected to zero every event. Instead, he hit reps on the log, completed the yoke, loaded the stone, and finished third in Open Super Heavyweight. That day confirmed something he needed to know: the dog was still in him.
Competing on the World Stage
At OSG Worlds, Ian had one of his proudest moments: the 900-pound car walk. Yes, he literally walked 50 feet with a Volkswagen Beetle on his back. He picked it up, tore his rhomboid mid-run, kept going, won his heat, and placed 10th in the event out of 32 athletes. He finished 15th overall in the world.
Fighting Through Injuries in the Masters Division
Though Ian competes in Masters now, he hasn’t slowed down mentally or physically. The biggest difference from age 37 to 42 isn’t that he feels “old”—it’s the accumulation of wear and tear. Strongman has no offseason, meaning injuries stack up without much time to recover. Ian still deals with a torn meniscus, a rhomboid that feels like tearing scar tissue, and a calendar packed with Arnolds, qualifiers, and Worlds. Taking six months off for surgeries would cost him opportunities he may never get back. So he adapts, rehabs, modifies, and keeps pushing.
Competing With Type 1 Diabetes—and Turning It Into an Advantage
One of the most inspiring parts of Ian’s journey is that he does all of this as a Type 1 diabetic, diagnosed at age 12. Most people would see that as a limitation. He treats it as an advantage. Wearing a continuous glucose monitor, he has spent decades learning how food, insulin, stress, adrenaline, and training intensity affect his blood sugar. While other competitors “guess” what foods do, Ian isn’t guessing.
He can’t carb-load like most heavy strongmen; many competitions are done fasted because carbs combined with adrenaline push his blood sugar into the 300s. He carries Sour Patch Kids as emergency fuel for lows. His diet resembles a low-carb or carnivore approach—mostly meat, some strategically timed carbs, and minimal junk. That precision keeps him alive, competitive, and strong.
His message to diabetic kids and parents is simple and powerful: You can do this. You can be diabetic, older, banged up, and still chase your dreams.
Strongman: The Most Brutal, Friendly Sport Around
From the outside, strongman looks like a freak show of giant humans flipping tires and deadlifting cars. But inside the community, it’s one of the warmest and most encouraging environments in strength sports. Newcomers often find themselves surrounded by veterans offering advice, loaning equipment, and cheering for them—sometimes louder than they cheer for their own teammates.
Ian summed it up beautifully: people assume the massive guy doing log or stones is mean or intimidating, but he’s likely the nicest guy in the room, thrilled someone is curious enough to ask questions.
Life, Family, and the Goal of Being a “Jacked Grandpa”
Ian doesn’t pretend to do any of this alone. He says his wife is the backbone of their household, and he jokes that he’s often “Mr. Mom”—coaching his son’s football team, taking him to the gym, and building routines that keep the family grounded. Their life is simple, structured, and predictable in the best ways: consistent bedtimes, repeated weekly meals, a Sunday grocery run after deadlifts, bulk meat orders, and about ten staple dishes they rotate. That routine supports his training, his diabetes management, his fatherhood, and his long-term goals. And one of those goals is delightfully simple: to be the jacked grandpa whose grandkids brag, “My grandpa could beat up your dad.”
What You Can Take From Ian’s Story
You don’t need to compete at OSG. You don’t need to weigh 300 pounds, deadlift 700, or carry cars on your back. Ian’s journey shows that you’re not stuck where you are, you’re not too old to get dramatically stronger, and your health challenges don’t disqualify you. With consistency, community, and structure, change is absolutely possible. And if you’ve ever wondered about strongman—even a little—there are local gyms, novice competitions, and a whole community of supportive weirdos ready to welcome you in.
Where to Follow Ian
You can find Ian on:
👉 Instagram & TikTok: @WSMVanillaGorilla
If you’re a Type 1 athlete—or raising one—he wants you to reach out.
To watch this episode, visit us on youtube.