Middletown man holds title of second strongest disabled man in the world

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (WKRC) - A local man is proving even though his body is different, he can do what everyone else can and more.

Four times a week, Mike Diehl walks into Powerstation Gym in Middletown, loads up the rack, concentrates on his breathing, and engages his core while working out.

He continues to push the limit with every press, pull and squat.

“I'm gonna really dial in my nutrition and dial in my work ethic, and just just outwork everybody, because that's the only way to be the best,” Diehl said.

With only one arm, he’s already stronger than most.

He holds the title as the second strongest disabled man in the world.

Back in March of 2015, the former City of Franklin firefighter was in an accident on duty, in which his arm was crushed by a firetruck.

“We just come back from a fire and I was guiding the truck back into the bay for the driver, when just a freak accident and I got pinned between the wall and the truck, where it crushed my arm and snapped it around the corner of the wall, and then ripped part of it off,” said Diehl.

Four months later, he became an amputee.

“They [doctors] told me that it would be motionless and a lot of pain for the rest of my life," he said. "So, I basically looked at my doctor and said, 'Cut it off. I got stuff to do.' The first place I went 10 days after they released me and they cut my arm off, I went straight back to this gym.”

It was only about three and a half years ago when Diehl decided to start competing in the sport of disabled strongman. He competes in a class with others who only have use of one arm.

“I've competed at the Arnold Classic disabled strongman here in Ohio. I've competed at the Arnold UK in Birmingham, England, and then the world's strongest disabled man several times, once in Iceland, twice in Canada,” Diehl said. “At America's strongest disabled man two years ago, I did a 500 pound squat for eight reps. I actually, at the Arnold Classic disabled strongman here in Columbus, Ohio a couple of years ago, I set the world record for one arm deadlift at 463 pounds.”

But getting to this point wasn't easy.

“So, when the accident happened, it got pretty dark for a while. I had some people really close to me, like my dad, my wife, try to guide me back into doing the things that I'd always done,” said Diehl. “There were a million times I thought about giving up, but I looked at my son, and he depends on me to be the man I always was.”

Diehl says his motto is simple: Hard work beats everything.

“Anybody that tells you you can't do something or can't have something, tell them to get back in their box,” he said.

Diehl’s next competition is in Birmingham, England at the end of September, where he’ll compete in the Arnold UK disabled strongman.

Aside from winning the world’s strongest disabled man, he says his ultimate goal is to help children with limb differences realize there’s nothing they can’t do if they’re willing to work hard enough.

“There's gonna be a lot of people that tell you, 'No, you can't have that,' or, 'No, you can't do that,' and it's up to you not to believe them, and go take what you want. Take what you think you deserve,” Diehl said. “Yeah, we have to adapt and overcome certain things in our lives, just like everybody else, but we're capable. We can do anything anybody else can do and we can do it better than most.”