Professional Heavyweights Biographies

Competitors

Last Throw at Maxville for Harvey Barkauskas

Date of Birth: March 14th, 1951
Family: Married to Corrie (37 years), 3 children --- Bradley (25), Ryan (23), Lia (20)
Address: London, Ontario

Athletic Career:

Harvey started his athletic career at a very early age (10) by becoming involved with competitive swimming. He pursued this until his early-teens (13) and then discovered the world of throwing via Track & Field. He became very proficient in the shot put and discus; he became the first double-gold winner at OFSAA in 1970. He continued his throwing career throughout university, winning numerous provincial championships and medalling at the national level. During the latter part of his university career, he got involved with Olympic Weightlifting and, again, won numerous provincial championships and also medalled at the national level. Harvey’s best throw in the discus in 1978 of 55.66m would have won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. His best official lift in the Snatch was 140kg, while the Clean & Jerk was 177.5kg. With this strong throwing and lifting background, he entered the arena of the Scottish Heavy Events in July 1981 in Cambridge, Ontario at the age of 30. Harvey has competed in over 350 Games, plus numerous festivals and demonstrations over the past 30 years, and has successfully won over 100 individual championships. Some of Harvey’s more notable accomplishments include:

• 7-time Canadian Heavy Event Champion (Maxville), the last one being in 1992 at the age of 41
• 4-time winner of the U.S. Masters
• 3-time World Masters champion (age groups 50-55 and 55-59)
• holder of numerous World Master’s records
• first Masters athlete to spin with the 42 lbs Weight of Height in a Masters competition

The list could go on and on, but as all good things must come to an end, Harvey is slowing easing out of the Games with this year being his last at both Maxville and Fergus. He may compete in some lower-key Games, but wait…he will also be taking on a new Scottish challenge…GOLF… You might see a new event in the golf world --- throwing your club for distance!

Dirk Bishop

Division ~ Open Professional
Home ~ Perth-Andover, NB
Age ~ 44
Height ~ 6’ 1”
Weight ~ 270 lbs.
Tartan ~ Ancient Cameron
Years Competing ~ 6  (5^th. year competing at the Glengarry Highland Games)
Occupation ~ Border Services Officer

Accomplishments:  

5-Time New Brunswick Champion
2005 Canadian Caber Toss Champion
3-Time Masters World Champion

Personal Bests:

22 lb. Braemar Stone ~ 36’11”
            July 1/07 ~ Pugwash Highland Games, Pugwash, Ns

16 lb. Open stone ~ 45’10”
            July 1/06 ~ Pugwash Highland Festival, Pugwash, NS

56 lb. Weight for Distance ~ 36’11”
            May 26/07 ~ Gathering of the Scots, Perth-Andover, NB

28 lb. Weight for Distance ~ 75’7”
            July 17/05 ~ Commonwealth vs. USA, Antigonish, NS

22 lb. Hammer ~ 102’9”
            July 23/05 ~ New Brunswick Highland Games, Fredericton, NB

16 lb. Hammer ~ 131’5”
            July 30/05 ~ Canadian Championship, Glengarry HG, Maxville, ON

56 lb. Weight for Height ~ 15’
            July18/06 ~ Inveraray Highland Games, Inveraray, Scotland

16 lb. Sheaf ~ 30’
            July 30/05 ~ Masters World Championship, MacPherson, KS

20 lb. Sheaf ~ 24’
            May 27/06 ~ Gathering of the Scots, Perth-Andover, NB

42 lb. Weight for Distance ~ 49’8”
            Sept 23/05 ~ Masters World Championship, MacPherson, KS

42 lb. Weight for Height ~ 18’
            July 23/06 ~ Masters World Championship, Inverness HG,
            Inverness, Scotland

Greg Hadley

Neil Lowry

Division ~ Open Professional
Home ~ Almonte, ON.
Age ~ 28 
Height ~ 6'1'
Weight ~  270lbs.  
Tartan ~ Modern Gordon Dress
Years Competing ~ 10  (Four as an Open Professional)
Occupation ~ Funeral Director, and part-time farmer with his Father

Accomplishments:

Neil started out by competing with the Amateurs here in Glengarry, and won these events twice. He has gone on to compete in Highland Games all over Ontario ( his own being North Lanark Games), throughout some States in the U.S., and in Scotland.

Personal:

Neil is married to the former Heidi Parsons, who is also a Heavyweight Events Competitor in the Professional Women’s Competition. They met while both were competing at a Highland Games and not long after, Neil proposed to Heidi (on bended knee) in front of the crowd at the North Lanark Highland Games. Heidi said “Yes” and the two were married on May 26, 2007. They are now the proud parents of baby daughter, Isabel. Congratulations!!

Marc Morin

Division ~ Open Professional
Home ~ Saint-Jean-Baptiste, MN. 
Age ~ 42
Height ~ 5'9"
Weight ~ 290 lbs.
Tartan ~ Morrison
Years Competing ~ 16 
Occupation ~ Physical Education Teacher

Accomplishments:

Marc is a former Glengarry Highland Games (HG) Amateur Champion, as well as New Brunswick HG Champion, and Regina HG Champion. He has competed all across Canada, in many States throughout the USA, and in Scotland.

Personal Bests:

24lb. Stone (Braemar) ~ 32'4"
16lb. Open Stone ~ 43'6"
56lb. Weight For Distance (WFD) ~ 35'
28lb. (WFD) ~ 67' 9.5"
22lb. Hammer ~ 97' 8"
16lb. Hammer ~ 121'
56lb. Weight for Height (WFH) ~ 12'6"
22lb. Sheaf  ~ 29'   
16lb. Sheaf ~ 31'

Personal:

Marc has been competing in Heavyweight Events at the Glengarry Highland Games for eight years. He began competing in the Amateur Division, and turned Pro. seven years ago. Marc is originally from Senneterre, Québec.

Christoph Wand

Home ~ Kitchener, ON.
Age ~ 35
Height ~ 6' 4"
Weight ~ 285 lbs.
Tartan ~ Black Stewart
Years Competing ~ 11
Occupation ~ Beef Cattle and Sheep Nutritionist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)

Personal Bests:

17lb.Stone ~ 44'5"
20lb. Stone ~ 41'8"
56lb. Weight for Distance (WFD) ~ 37'4" 
28lb. WFD ~ 75'1.5"
16lb. Hammer ~ 118'6"
22lb. Hammer ~ 94'5"
16lb. Sheaf ~ 32'
20lb. Sheaf ~ 26'
56lb. Weight For Height (WFH) ~ 16'

Christoph’s top events to date are the 56lb. Weight for Height, 28lb. Weight for Distance, and the Caber.

Personal:

Christoph was born in Germany (1972), immigrated to Canada with his family in 1973, and was raised on a farm in Powassan, ON.

Christoph holds degrees in Nutritional Science (B. Sc.) and Animal Science (M. Sc.) from the University of Guelph, and resides in Kitchener with his wife and four children.

Markus Wand

Born on October 8, 1980 in North Bay, Ontario and was raised on a family farm in Powassan, Ontario.

Markus is competing in his 10^th year as a Heavy Events athlete (8^th in the professional division) at 6’4” and 275 lbs.  Currently, Markus’ top event is the sheaf toss.

Graduating in 2003 from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.Sc. Agr.), Markus returned home to the family farm in Powassan where he currently runs a livestock operation of 85 beef cattle and 500 sheep in partnership with his parents.

Quick Facts

Hometown – Raised and residing in Powassan, ON
Weight – 275 lbs
Height – 6’4”
Tartan – Cavan (Irish County)
Years Competing – 10^th season (2 years Am; 8^th year as a Pro)
Age – 30 (Born: October 8^th, 1980)
Status – Single

Personal Bests

17lb.Stone ~ 47'8.5" - Georgetown 2006
25lb. Stone ~ 37'1" - Fergus 2009
56lb. Weight for Distance (WFD) ~ 37'1" - Almonte 2010
28lb. WFD ~ 78'9" - Almonte 2009
16lb. Hammer ~ 118'10 - Maxville 2009"
22lb. Hammer ~ 98'8" - Cobourg 2008
16lb. Sheaf ~ 39' - Bracebridge 2009
20lb. Sheaf ~ 34' - Uxbridge 2009 ***
56lb. Weight For Height (WFH) ~ 14' - Callander 2005

***Current Canadian Record holder in the 20 lb sheaf toss (Uxbridge 2009)

Farmer’s Walk: 501 feet in Fergus, 2004 (unofficial World Record)

William (Bill) Monette

Division ~ Open Professional

Home ~ Parish, NY., USA.
Age ~ 29
Height ~ 6'
Weight ~ 230 lbs.   
Tartan ~ Scott Hunting
Years Competing ~ 9   (This is Bill’s fourth year competing in Maxville.) Bill is originally a track and field star and trained with Pat Lynn, who has also competed in the Heavyweight Events in many Games (including here at Maxville) for over 20 years. It was Pat who got Bill interested in competing in these events.
Occupation ~ Engineer

Will Barron

Home ~ Syracuse, NY., USA.
Division ~ Open Professional  
Clan Tartan: Rose Hunting
Age ~ 31
Weight ~ 270 Lbs.
Height ~  6' 2"
Occupation: home improvement sales

Will has been competing in Highland Games since he was 14 years old and has been training seriously for the heavy events for the last 9 years. He has competed in the USA, Canada and Scotland. He was the 2000 North USA vs South USA amateur champion, the 2000 NORTH AMERICAN Amateur Champs runner-up and a former amateur world record holder in the 56# weight for distance. 

After turning professional in 2001, he has continued to improve with a 5th place finish in the USA Championships in 2003 and a top 9 National finish every year since.

He is the former overall champion at the Georgetown, Ontario Highland Games and at the 2006 North American Championships he finished 7th.

AND,---- he explains that he also is the North American Record Holder in the Haggis Hurl.

Will's athletic goal is to compete and finish in the top 5 at a world championships before he retires.

 He and his wife Karen have a beautiful baby girl, Brynne Elizebeth.