WILLIAMSON, W.Va - An old saying says there’s strength in numbers. That old adage goes out the window whenever Charleston, West Virginia native Phil Pfister, the holder of the title “World’s Strongest Man”, is around.

Pfister is coming to Williamson this Thursday night to be the keynote speaker for the 2009 Williamson High School Athletic Awards Recognition Ceremony. The event will take place in the Rose G. Smith Theater and will start at 7:00 p.m.

Pfister won the 2006 Met-Rx World's Strongest Man competition and its $41,000 grand prize on September 23, 2006 in Sanya, China. He was the first American to win since Bill Kazmaier in 1982.

Pfister stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 345 pounds He has participated in competitive strongman events since the mid 1990’s.

Pfister has maintained a strong commitment of service to school age youth and has appeared at over 200 schools and spoken before over 35,000 students in West Virginia since 2002 .

Pfister has appeared in the Arnold Schwartzeneggar Strongman Classic competition and has appeared on ESPN and ESPN2.

When he’s not flipping cars, lifting weights and pulling trucks, Pfister resides in Charleston and furthers his community service by being a career professional fireman with the Charleston Fire Department.

The WHS Athletic Awards Recognition Ceremony is a new event for the school, replacing the long time annual athletic awards event, the WHS Annual Sports Banquet.