Mark Henry is a former Olympic weightlifter, strongman, powerlifter, and WWE wrestler. At the Pan American Games 1995, he won all the three medals – Gold, Silver, and Bronze in weightlifting in the super heavyweight category. He lost his dad when he was 12. He was already 5’5″ in height and 102 kg in weight in the 4th grade.
Sun Sign
Gemini
Residence
Austin, Texas, United States
Nationality
Education
Mark Henry went to the Silsbee High School in his hometown of Silsbee.
Family
- Father – Ernest Henry (Passed away from complications from diabetes when Mark was 12)
- Mother – Barbara Jean
- Siblings – Pat Henry (Older Brother)
- Others – Kevin Henry (Cousin) (Former Professional NFL Player and former Pittsburgh Steelers)
Manager
Mark Henry can be reached through WWE Performance Center.
Girlfriend / Spouse
Mark Henry has dated
- Jana Henry – Mark Henry is married to Jana Henry. During the course of their marriage, she has given a birth to a son, Jacob, and a daughter, Joanna.
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Large and imposing body
- Bushy beard
Shoe Size
16EEE
Brand Endorsements
Mark Henry has appeared in a TV commercial for –
- Carl’s Jr. Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger
- Hardee’s
Best Known For
- Being a successful powerlifter. In 1995, he managed to win WDFPF World Championship. He was also crowned as US National Champion on 2 occasions.
- His successful career as a weightlifter. He was crowned U.S. National Weightlifting Champion on 3 occasions. He also won the first annual Arnold Strongman Classic in 2002.
- His accomplished career as a professional wrestler during which he became WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship and two-time WWF World Champion.
First Wrestling Match
In September 1996, Mark made his wrestling debut in a match against Jerry Lawler at In Your House: Mind Games event.
First Film
In 2010, Mark made his theatrical film debut in the romantic comedy movie, MacGruber.
First TV Show
In 1996, Mark Henry made his first TV show appearance on the popular talk show, Late Night with .
Personal Trainer
Mark Henry regularly hits the gym to ensure that he maintains his enviable strength. Apart from lifting heavy weights in the gym, he also focuses on cardio sessions. Overall, he tries to do cardio 4 times a week. His usual cardio sessions last about an hour.
Regarding diet, he has to eat a lot to fuel his massive body. He also drinks a lot of water throughout the day. His daily diet schedule is as follows –
- Breakfast – He usually eats bacon or chicken for breakfast. He doesn’t count calories or size serving. He just eats till he feels full.
- Lunch – A whole chicken with lots of potatoes.
- Dinner – The last meal of the day is also a whole chicken and lots of potatoes.
- Snacks – To keep hunger in check in between meals, he drinks protein shakes and eats a lot of fruits.
Mark Henry Favorite Things
- Wrestler –
Source –
Mark Henry Facts
- While growing up, he dreamed of becoming a big baseball star.
- While trying to touch André the Giant at the wrestling show in Beaumont, Texas, he fell over the barricade. He was picked up by Andre and placed behind the barricade.
- At the age of 12, he was diagnosed with dyslexia.
- While studying in high school, he used to play football. However, after straining ligaments in the wrist in the first match of the senior year, he decided to quit playing school football.
- By the time he reached 4th grade, he was weighing 225 lbs and was 5 ft 5 in tall.
- When he was 10 years old, his mother bought a set of weights for him so that he could harness his immense growth.
- When he won the National High School Powerlifting Championship in 1990, he became the first teenager to squat 832 lbs (377 kg). He also became the first teenager to lift a total of 2,033 lbs (922 kg).
- By the time he graduated from the high school, he held national and state records in all four powerlifting categories – bench press at 525 lbs (238 kg), deadlift at 815 lbs (370 kg), squat at 832 lbs (377 kg), and a total at 2,033 lb (922 kg).
- By the age of 19, he had managed to qualify for the weightlifting category at the Summer Olympics. He finished in the 10th spot in the Super-Heavyweight discipline.
- He holds the distinction of being the first powerlifter to have raw deadlifted 903.9 lbs (410 kg) and squatted 948.0 lbs (430 kg) without a squat suit. He also became the first competitor to have managed a raw total of 2314.8 lb (1050 kg). He was drug tested before he performed all these feats.
- In 1996, he signed a lucrative contract deal worth $10 million with World Wrestling Federation. He was contracted for a period of 10 years.
- His last appearance in Olympic Weightlifting came in 1996 as he vowed not to return to the sport until it was cleaned of anabolic steroid use.
- In the late nineties, he was part of a couple of embarrassing and controversial storylines as he adopted the persona of Sexual Chocolate. One of the storylines from that period incorporated his supposed sexual addiction.
- He has revealed that he competed in 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic in honor of his mother, who had got him his first weight set.
- After he won Arnold Strongman Classic, he was awarded a Hummer, a vacation cruise, and $10,000 in cash.
- In July 2006, he got seriously injured in a 6-man tag team match. He had split his patella in two and had also torn his patella tendon off the bone.
- In March 2018, he was inducted by WWE into WWE Hall of Fame.
- Follow him on , , and .
Featured Image by Miguel Discart / / CC BY-SA 2.0
Facts of Mark Jerrold Henry
- Gender Male
- full nameMark Jerrold Henry
- middle nameJerrold
- nicknamesMarkswoggle, Sexual Chocolate, The World’s Strongest Man
- birthplaceSilsbee, Texas, United States
- Date of Birth June 12, 1971
- Age 53 years 2 months
- Horoscope Gemini
- Lucky Number 9
- Lucky Stone Agate
- Lucky Color Yellow
- Best Match for Marriage Leo, Aquarius, Libra
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundBlack
- net worth$6 million
- professionPowerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler
- weight163 kg or 359 lbs
- height6 ft 2 in or 188 cm
- hair colorBlack
- eye colorDark Brown
- body type / buildLarge
- motherBarbara Jean
- fatherErnest Henry
- brothersPat Henry