Travis Ortmayer (born August 9, 1981) is an American professional Strongman athlete from Cypress, Texas. He is nicknamed the Texas Stoneman due to his many world records in the Atlas Stone event.
Ortmayer's strongman training complex is called "The Unit". His father, Roger Ortmayer, trains with him. He was supported by his mother, Sonja Ortmayer and his sister, Tara Ortmayer. RIP. Travis Ortmayer was born in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
In 2006 Ortmayer eventually won his first international competition in Cyprus at the IFSA Cyprus Grand Prix.[9] This was one week after attaining a pectoralis injury at the 2006 World Strongman Challenge in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[10] Ortmayer went on to win all three National Championship Qualifiers.[11]
Ortmayer suffered a shoulder injury, and lost 25 lbs. He competed in the 2006 IFSA World Championships. He maintained his Atlas Stone: Light Set world record, but lost his Heavy Set world record to the 2006 Champion Žydrūnas Savickas. Ortmayer placed 10th overall.[16][17][18]
Ortmayer then went on to compete in the exclusive 2007 Arnold Strongman Classic competition. During the Timber Frame Carry, he injured his right foot; the timber frame dropped on his foot when his heel made contact with the apparatus. During the Hummer Tire Deadlift, Ortmayer also injured his back, and was waived out of the competition by the attending doctor. Ortmayer did come back to compete in the final event, the Circus Dumbbell press, but was unable to complete the event due to his previous injuries. He placed 10th overall.[19]
Ortmayer went on to compete in the 2007 Fresno Pro-Am (USA National Championship Qualifier). He won this contest,[20] which qualified him to compete in the 2007 America's Strongest Man (USA National Championship). During the USA National Championship, Ortmayer re-injured his back on the second event, the Tire Deadlift, and pulled out of the competition.[21]
Ortmayer has since gone on to compete in two team contests. The USA vs. World contest put on by Al Thompson in June 2007[22] in Philadelphia, US, was his first. Ortmayer and his team (Derek Poundstone, Van Hatfield, Nick Best and Walt Gogola) pulled out a victory against the three of the top five European strongmen in the World, (Žydrūnas Savickas, Vasyl Virastyuk and Andrus Murumets. The contest was a tie going into the final event, the Atlas Stones. Team USA pulled out a victory in Ortmayer's signature event to capture the win overall.[23] His next team contest was the World's Strongest Nation, held in Ukraine in August 2007. This time Team USA consisted of Ortmayer along with Derek Poundstone, Tom McClure and Brian Shaw. Team USA placed 2nd overall.[24]
Ortmayer competed in the 2007 IFSA Strongamn World Championships in Geumsan, South Korea. The qualifying heats consisted of four events, and the top two from each heat of four athletes would go on to the finals. Ortmayer finished third overall in his heat and failed to qualify for the finals.
Ortmayer and his father Roger Ortmayer opened the elite personal training gym Athletic Nation in 2007. Ortmayer worked the microphone at the Arnold Strongman contest in March 2008.
Ortmayer took some time during late 2007 to let his body recover and to build up base strength levels. He achieved his goal of an 800 lb deadlift on December 1, 2007, in a powerlifting meet. Since then he has gone on to win every contest he has competed in, as of March 15, 2008. In doing so, he has qualified for the World's Strongest Man Super Series 2008 and America's Strongest Man 2008. Ortmayer was invited to compete in the Fortissimus – Decathlon of Strength competition held in Canada the last weekend of June.
MC ORT Ortmayer on the mic at the 2008 Arnold Strongest Man demonstrating to the large crowd how to do the Circus Dumbbell event Photo by Chris Chapman
On April 2, 2008, Ortmayer signed on to compete against Derek Poundstone at the Madison Square Garden Super Series on June 21, 2008. He won the Madison Square Garden Super Series by defeating Derek Poundstone into second place.
Ortmayer competed in the 2008 World's Strongest Man competition, his first time in the contest. During the qualifiers, Ortmayer took first overall in his qualifying group. Ortmayer still finished in fifth place overall in the finals. Ortmayer would go on to finish fifth at both the 2009 World's Strongest Man and 2010 World's Strongest Man contests in the finals. Ortmayer suffered an injury during the qualifying heats of the 2011 World's Strongest Man contest, was forced to withdraw from the contest, and did not make the finals.
In 2021, Ortmayer returned to the World's Strongest Man competition after 10 years, but failed to make the final.[25]
Personal records – Strongman (Arnold Classic) (WSM/SS) (IFSA)
Atlas ("Manhood") Stone
243 kg {536 lb 21.5" diameter to 48"} {2011 Arnold Strongman Classic, Columbus, Ohio}
242 kg {534 lb 21.5" diameter to 48" for 3 reps} {2010 Arnold Strongman Classic, Columbus, Ohio}
Ring of Stones: Light Set
25.5 Sec World Record (2005 Pan Am Championships, São Paulo, Brazil *broken – see below
19.20 Sec World Record (2006 IFSA World Championships, Iceland)[26]
5 Stone Series
Heaviest set ever – 275, 308, 330, 407, 474 lbs in 26.18 sec (May, 2009 Mohegan Sun) Connecticut, US *broken – see below
Heaviest set ever – 265, 315, 385, 435, 480 lbs in 34.81 sec (August, 2009 Paragon Casino) Baton Rouge, Louisiana
12.8 Sec 114–182 kg {250–400 lb} Unofficial World Record (Cypress, Texas)
Overhead Log Press
137 kg * 13 reps (300 lb) All American Challenge (Fit Expo) (Los Angeles)
Timber Carry
393 kg {865 lb – 19.94 sec up 36' ramp} American record, {Arnold's Strongest Man, Columbus, Ohio}
SUV Deadlift
555 kg * 3 reps {1200+ lb} (USA National Championship Qualifier, South Carolina, United States)[27][28]
Personal records – powerlifting (USAPL)
Squat
341 kg {752 lb} – December 1, 2007, Cypress, Texas
Bench Press
215 kg {474 lb} – December 1, 2007, Cypress, Texas
Deadlift
364 kg {802 lb} – December 1, 2007, Cypress, Texas
