Douglas Edmunds

Douglas Morris Edmunds (29 May 194430 October 2020) was a Scottish Highland Games competitor and strongman. Known as the "Godfather of Strongman", he was a two-time world champion of the caber toss and co-founded and acted as referee for the World's Strongest Man competition. He was also a co-founder of the International Federation of Strength Athletes and Highlander Challenge World Championships. He was the father of strongman Gregor Edmunds.

Early life Edmunds was born on 29 May 1944 in Glasgow, Scotland, to John and Izabella Edmunds, and was named after Douglas Young. One of four children, he lived in the former Netherton army camp. He attended St Colombia's RC prep school in Largs and St Joseph's College, Dumfries, where he played rugby for the South of Scotland schools match against Wales and won titles in shot put and discus. He organised the World Highland Games Championships in Lagos, Nigeria in 1981. Between 1992 and 2004, he was the contest's head referee. In 2007, Edmunds created the Goddodin Games in a bid to revive the Highland Games and strongman sports, which he felt had become tired. He believed that the sports should be about engaging and entertaining crowds.

Edmunds has written three books: The Warrior Breed, The World's Greatest Tosser, and Giants and Legends.

Personal Records Caber Toss – Braemar challenge caber at 12 o'clock (1976 World Caber Tossing Championships) (world record) Caber Toss (for distance) – for (1985 World Muscle Power Classic) (world record)

He married Moira Edmunds (née Graham) in 1970, with whom he had two children, and separated in the 1980s. In 1992 he married Linda Edmunds and had another child by her.