CLARKSVILLE, TN – When senior health and human performance major Ben Grandchamp first stepped onto Austin Peay State University’s campus, he wasn’t entirely sure where his path would lead. Fitness had always been central to his life. He was already working as a personal trainer in high school, following in the footsteps of his fitness-minded family, but college was a leap he hadn’t always envisioned for himself.
Today, that leap has transformed into a journey defined by discipline, growth, and achievement. From winning a first-place finish at the Clash of the Krakens strongman competition in Maine this summer to earning the coveted Ricondo badge at ROTC Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Grandchamp is building a résumé as strong as his grip on a keg press.
The Clash of the Krakens wasn’t even on his radar until just 10 days before the event. But Grandchamp, already a dedicated weightlifter, threw himself into preparation. The contest featured challenges ranging from keg cleans and presses and a boat pull to a grueling last-man-standing barrel deadlift starting at 450 pounds. He faced them all with the kind of determination that has come to define his approach…