England’s strongest man Kane Francis suffers horrendous injury

WATCH: England’s Strongest Man faces a long road to recovery after sustaining a horrendous injury lifting 172kg in training.

England’s Strongest Man was rushed to hospital after suffering a horrific injury while lifting 172kg in training.

Kane Francis, the reigning England’s Strongest Man, suffered the devastating tendon injury while training for a log press event, The Sun reports.

Watch every game of the NFL Postseason, including the Super Bowl, live with ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

The 32-year-old, known to fans as “The Hurrikane”, described hearing a “pop” while pressing a 172kg weight and immediately rushed to hospital.

Kane was told that his adductor tendon in his leg had severed and he would need surgery within three weeks to have any chance at a full recovery.

He said: “I was training the log press and I lifted 172kg – and as I pressed it over my head, I extended my leg and hips forward and felt this huge pop in my leg.

Watch the moment the injury occurred below

Kane Francis in action. Photo: Instagram

“I instantly knew that something bad had happened, because there was no pain. That made me instantly think it was a tendon, so I went to the hospital.”

Kane was told it would be several weeks before he would be able to receive an MRI to begin the treatment plan on the NHS and felt that his only option was to seek private treatment as soon as possible.

After a year of success at home and the chance to compete with some of the top athletes in the sport at World’s Strongest Man earlier this year – including reigning champion Tom Stoltman – Kane was devastated to receive the news.

“As lucky as we are to have the NHS, they couldn’t get me in for an MRI for a number of weeks,” he said.

“I’d been advised that with this kind of injury, a full tendon and muscle detachment, there’s a three-week window where you can get the surgery done before there’s a retraction of the tendon and the muscle.

The moment of the injury and with his English title. Photo: Instagram

“The tendon has already retracted 10cm down my leg – it’s quite a significant injury.”

Kane began powerlifting in 2017 before attending a strongman event as a spectator and starting to train for it in 2022.

By 2023, Kane was on the world stage – competing at events across the globe with the strongest athletes alive, taking his biggest title to date after his 2024 victory at England’s Strongest Man in York.

Sadly, his tendon injury has shattered his chances at taking the title of Britain’s Strongest Man 2025 in February, but hasn’t shaken his love for the sport.

He said: “I started powerlifting in 2017 because I was quite underweight and I just wanted to get into the gym.

“I’ve won England’s Strongest Man this year, after coming second last year and first in my first year competing.

“I love going to these shows and performing. I love speaking to people in the crowd.

“I was looking more forward to it this year than any other year I’ve done – and this would have been the qualifier to get back to World’s Strongest Man.

“Sadly, with this recovery time, I’m not going to be back to World’s Strongest Man this year.”

In the hopes that he would make a full recovery, friend and fellow strongman competitor Evans Nana launched a GoFundMe, aiming to raise $25,000 to fund Kane’s operation.

The pair met two years ago at a competition and have been close friends and regular competitors ever since, both appearing at 2024’s World Strongest Man, held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The injury and an update on Instagram.

The fundraiser has been donated to and shared by World’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman and his brother Luke, currently Europe’s Strongest Man, as well as several other athletes and promoters in the sport.

Both Kane and Evans are “overwhelmed” by the support shown by strongman fans and fellow athletes alike, with the fundraiser currently just under $20,000.

Evans added: “I’ve no doubt he can bounce back stronger. He’s the current England’s Strongest Man after three competitions and that shows he perseveres and is resilient enough to get better and better.

“This is going to make him hungrier and come back stronger. I have no doubts that he’s going to come back to his peak.”

That's a fair bit of weight right there. Photo: Instagram

Kane described the support as “humbling,” stating: “I’ve donated to GoFundMes before, but there was part of me – probably my ego – that didn’t want to set one up or ask for handouts.

“But Evans, being the friend that he is, he’s done that for me. It’s quite a serious surgery and he wanted to help me all he can.

“The support has been a little bit overwhelming and incredibly humbling. It’s got me feeling emotional. I can’t believe people want to help me as much as they have.”

Despite facing a complicated surgery with a lengthy recovery process, Kane is eager to return to the sport – and has vowed to take his recovery as seriously as he takes training.

The strongman said: “The athlete in me wants to go back as soon as I possibly can, but I’ve got to think with my head and not my heart in this.

“It’s not a minor injury. I need to make sure I take things slowly and ease myself back into it.

“In my head, I’m accepting now that the 2025 season is probably done for me.

“This year, instead of the goal being a competition, it’s a goal to stay healthy and be able to move properly again.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as England’s strongest man Kane Francis suffers horrendous injury