Shannon Florissen
Joining Muscle Pit in 2008 Shannon’s work ethic, tenacity, and focus not only reinforced the training environment that was synonyms with Muscle Pit at the time but lifted it.
Letting his actions do the talking his training intensity was inspiring to all. Those he trained directly alongside all benefited from his presence – just trying to hang with the guy was gruelling and no one wanted to be the first to break.
Those qualities over time saw Shannon develop into one of Australia’s strongest lifters of his generation.
Highlights
His first venture out of the State in 2012 saw him attend the CAPO Nationals with immediate success setting the national benchmark in the 125kg weight division which included a world record of 342.5kg in the Deadlift.
One of Shannon’s gutsiest performances was at the 2014 GPC Worlds placing second behind powerlifting icon Eric Lillibridge. From the outset based on what he had delivered in training Shannon looked uncomfortable and underpowered. Through sheer will and grit he managed to put together a PB Total amazingly without hitting one single lift PB along the way. It was later revealed Shannon had lifted with a damaged hamstring and fried nervous system.
As the ProRaw Invitational started to attract the interest of the best Australian and overseas competitors it was only appropriate he was there.
Shannon was an integral part of Muscle Pit’s assault on the event in 2017 (ProwRaw 9) and 2018 (ProRaw 10) as a SHW. Giving away a huge body weight advantage to his competitors, Shannon in his two outings podiumed both years, finishing 3rd and 2nd respectively.
His second placing at ProRaw 10 saw him hit a milestone Total of 1000kg. In doing so he became the first man in WA history to hit 1000kg total and the second in this state to Squat 400kg.
His last outing was at the world-renowned event Big Dogs 3 Invitational where he hit a PB of 252.5kg on his bench.
The quality of the man goes way beyond his platform deeds. His contribution to Muscle Pit over the years has been selfless, his loyalty unquestionable, earning the respect from all those that have come to know the man.
What else can you say, the guys a legend in every sense of the word.
Best Squat: 400kg
Best Bench 252.5kg
Best Deadlift: 355kg
Best Total: 1000kg
One of my most treasured photos – yep that’s me on the other side embracing the mountain of a man. He had just hit 1000kg total mark, the first in West Australian powerlifting history to do so. It’d been years in the making, the sweat, the grind, the injuries, the outside pressures, the perseverance and the in surmountable will to fight through every adversity to continually repeat the process day in day out, to be the best you can for that one moment in time. Not a word was said but we both knew.
– Henry Day
