WEYMOUTH strongman Shane Flowers admitted receiving a call-up to World’s Strongest Man 2022 is “unreal”.

Flowers, 28, has only been competing on the strongman circuit this season but has experienced a stratospheric rise after a number of hugely impressive displays.

He became England’s Strongest Man in 2021 and has since tested himself against experienced competitors on the Giants Live calendar – six months after turning pro.

His efforts earned him a place at Britain’s Strongest Man in February, where a storming display locked down fourth place overall and £3,000 in prize money.

Flowers has caught the eye to such an extent that he will now compete at Europe’s Strongest Man in Leeds on Saturday, April 2.

READ MORE: Shane Flowers makes Giants Live debut

In an action-packed summer, the Dorset dynamo, whose wedding is in June, will then travel to Sacramento, California for World’s Strongest Man from Tuesday, May 24.

He will need to qualify for the final directly from a fiercely competitive heats round.

Speaking to Echosport after receiving the astonishing news, Flowers was living in the moment.

“It’s still unreal now,” he said. “Everything’s gone better than what we could’ve possibly planned for.

“With the current state the world’s in, some Ukrainian guys are not able to go and Russian guys can’t go, injuries and Covid, all the rest of it – the circumstances have aligned that I get the call-up to the Worlds.

“Everyone when they compete in strongman, they say the ultimate goal is to compete at the Worlds.

“Not necessarily become world’s strongest man but it’s such an elite club to be in, it’s unreal.”

Flowers might have secured a podium finish but for a miscommunication in the opening event at Britain’s Strongest Man – the 200kg shield carry.

He said: “It was me and the other athlete in the other lane, we were instructed to pick the implement up at the same time and start running at the same time.

“I’d picked up it up like we were told to do so but he hadn’t been able to pick it up, so I was stood there for about 15, 20 seconds holding this 200-kilo shield.

“I had to put it down for a couple of minutes but they said: ‘No we’re on a TV schedule, you’ve got to pick it up and go again’.

“I came pretty much dead last in that first event but I managed to claw some points back. The organisers knew that if I didn’t have that happen to me I was definitely within reach of the podium.

“Fourth place was three grand and it’s already gone into the wedding fund!”

Flowers finished three points behind third-placed Adam Bishop, with reigning World and British Strongest Man Tom Stoltman defending his title ahead of Pa O’Dwyer.

After a less than ideal start, Flowers made up ground in the second event, performing four reps in the 360kg deadlift.

Sixth place in the 150kg axle press followed before a mesmerising victory in the sandbag toss.

Flowers hurled six sandbags increasing in weight from 18kg to 28kg backwards over a 4.5m high barrier in just 18.38s beating Stoltman by 4.02s.

Flowers continued his strong finish with the famous Atlas stones, ending up second to Stoltman.

“My head dropped after that first event,” Flowers admitted.

“I was throwing stuff around and I just channelled it, took one event at a time and it paid off.

“That first event, the world record at the time was 60 metres and I was hitting close to that every single week in training.”

Flowers afforded himself two rest days before hitting the gym in preparation for Europe’s Strongest Man and he has predicted a top-five finish.

For the Worlds, he has targeted reaching the final stage – and who would bet against him?