The World’s Strongest Firefighter competition is a strongman/strongwoman event that sets out to do what the name says – find the strongest firefighter in the world. Since 2020, this contest has grown from a lineup of six men to over 100 competitors, and has included women for the last two years. It is one of the only contests that allows men and women to compete against each other in the finals, with weight categories and a coefficient scoring system to help determine the winner.
The 2025 edition of this contest was held in Columbus, OH as part of the Arnold Sports Festival, and the winner was Frank Boniello, a firefighter for the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The win has garnered him a lot of attention, and it may have even been a life-changing moment for the Kansas City, Missouri native.
“There is an adjustment to my life after winning this title, being consciously aware of how I represent this title.”
Boniello joined the military in 2011 when he was 18 years old, which was the beginning of the path he took that led him to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs as a firefighter, where he still serves today. The only difference between a federal firefighter and a full-time firefighter in a city or town is the area they serve. Boniello works as a driver operator, also known as an engineer. Another commonality is that they must be prepared for anything and stay in the best shape possible. That came easy for Boniello because he has been active since high school.
“I always had a passion for lifting weights,” he said. “I also played football and wrestled. There was always that team aspect but also a competitive aspect too. If one guy on your team benched 315, then you wanted to do more. I just kept that drive throughout my career in the military.”
That competitive drive led Boniello to the powerlifting platform. According to Open Powerlifting, Boniello competed from 2017 to 2022, and he thrived in the sport. His best lifts to date are a 606-pound squat, a 430-pound bench press, and a 700-pound deadlift, all raw, meaning no specialized assistant equipment was used.
When asked about why he chose powerlifting, Boniello explained, “I always wanted to see what I was capable of and push my own limits.”
The Journey in Strongman Begins
Prior to his beginning in strongman, Boniello said the closest experience he had was doing various movements for general physical preparedness. His first actual introduction to the sport was when he entered the World’s Strongest Firefighter contest in 2023.
“I decided to compete in the Open class as a middleweight competitor,” he recalled. “I was a little intimidated by the numbers I needed to compete the event. Some went well, some didn’t because of the lack of experience, but it gave me an idea of what I needed to do.”
Boniello found a new itch and started scratching it by entering more local events and gaining the experience that could serve him well in future contests. He enjoyed the process, but there was a mission on his mind.
“The World’s Strongest Firefighter was at the top of my list. I wanted to perform better there and see how I could do with the time I prepared for it.”
Boniello returned to the 2024 WSF contest, which was the first to include women and the Wilks system to allow all athletes to face each other. He placed fifth in that contest and saw the top spot in his sights.
Fast forward one year, and Boniello found himself battling for the win against 2024 champion Marcus Waugh for the title. The finals included three events, an Ambulance Tire Axle Bar overhead press for reps, a silver dollar theme deadlift with ascending weight for each rep completed, and a Fire Hydrant Loading event with weighted hydrants, similar to the Atlas Stones in strongman comps.
Boniello was consistent enough to defeat Waugh by six points to take the championship and the axe that comes with it from promoter Arnold Schwarzenegger. Boniello was proud to achieve this goal, but he also knows that there is a responsibility that comes with it, and he is embracing that challenge.
“I’m going to do my best to represent what they stand for and what we can see this competition grow to,” he said proudly. “We are going to try to keep taking this competition forward.”
Even though he is proud of this title, Boniello now has his sights set on other goals. He saw what Burton has done since he earned his title in 2023, including qualifying for the 2026 Arnold Strongman Classic, and that inspired him. Winning a contest like this has opened his eyes on what he is capable of, and he feels ready to explore that potential.
“I want to do other shows and see where I stand against the best under 105-kilogram strongmen in the world. I’m having so much fun in strongman.”
Tips to Prepare for Your First Strongman Contest
Boniello is a world champion now, but he was a newcomer to his sport at one time. He wanted to help make it easier for future athletes looking to compete by sharing some beginner tips.
Get comfortable training – “Get your hands on as much strongman equipment as you can to see what you are good at and not good at.
Embrace Challenges – “When you sign up for your first contest, make sure it has events you like and that you can do, but don’t be afraid to take on those events you can’t do as well yet.”
Make the Best of What You Have – “Fortunately, I am able to train some days at work. I bought a lot of my equipment on Facebook Marketplace, but I don’t have Atlas Stones. Sandbags work for that as well. If you can do the same movement patterns, it can help.”
