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Meet Dean and Dillon Doyle, twin brothers from Wexford who are not just making waves in the world of strongman competitions, but also raising vital awareness for epidermolysis bullosa (EB).
On August 17th, Dean held on to his title as the Republic of Ireland’s Strongest Man for the second year in a row. But it wasn’t an easy victory—his toughest competitor was none other than his twin brother, Dillon, who also happens to be his coach! Dillon was actually leading the competition until an injury in the final event set him back, but he still managed to finish in third place. Talk about brotherly love and rivalry.
What makes their achievements even more inspiring is that both Dean and Dillon live with EB, a painful genetic skin condition that primarily affects their feet. For them, walking even short distances can cause severe blistering, making everyday tasks incredibly challenging—never mind competing in a grueling strongman event!
“We get it worst on our feet,” Dillon shares. “Even a 10-minute walk can give you blisters. We’ve traveled to different countries to compete, and by the time we’d get to the event, we’d be in so much pain that lifting was nearly impossible.”
Thankfully, Debra has been a great support, especially when it comes to helping the brothers navigate travel through Irish airports. This support has been crucial as they continue to compete and raise awareness for EB.
This year’s competition in Wexford, where Dean secured his win, was close to home—a nice change from last year’s event in Derry. The competition was intense, featuring challenges like flipping a 400kg tire, hauling an eight-tonne truck, and lifting a car as many times as possible in 75 seconds. But Dean and Dillon were more than up for it!
The brothers first turned to weightlifting as a way to cope with the heartbreaking loss of their sister Lena in 2010. It’s been a long and difficult journey, but they’ve found strength in each other and in the sport they love.
Dillon, who runs Dynamite Coaching, is now aiming to qualify for Giant’s Live in October, the official qualifier for the World’s Strongest Man series. Meanwhile, Dean has recently been accepted into the New Ross Fire Service and is preparing for the All-Ireland Championships, where he hopes to claim the title of the strongest man across all 32 counties.
We’re so proud of Dean and Dillon for their incredible achievements and for using their platform to shine a light on EB. Their strength goes far beyond the physical—these brothers are true champions in every sense of the word.
Thank you, Dean and Dillon, for your amazing efforts in raising awareness of EB in Ireland!
