A Myth, A Legend, An Arm Wrestling God, And A Good Human Being—The Story Of How Devon Larratt Went From The Canadian Special Forces To Armwrestling Legend
Devon “No Limits” Larratt, arguably the Michael Jordan of armwrestling, is as fascinating as he is tall. There is a gold mine of a story behind his roots, and it’s a story worth hearing about. From what I can deduce, Larratt is a multifaceted man who brings his wealth of experience to the armwrestling table and to fans’ hearts globally.
Early Life And The Canadian Armed Forces
Devon Larratt, born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, had humble beginnings. His initial start in armwrestling were matches against his farmworker grandmother who to him, might have easily been one of the strongest armwrestlers in Canada.
Fast forward to 21, and Larratt enlists in the Canadian Armed Forces and joins Joint Task Force 2. Considering he was born in 1975, and he was 21 when he enlisted, it is most likely true that he joined JTF2 in 1996. This timeline makes sense as the JTF2 was created in 1993 (probably in response to the first Gulf War).
Joint Task Force 2, known as “JTF2,” is an incredibly hardcore military unit. Research JTF2’s history and qualifications, and you can quickly discern that it is equivalent to the United States Military’s Delta Force. It is considered a “Tier 1” unit in the Canadian Military, meaning it requires intense training, high levels of clearance, and experience to enlist. The mission of JTF2 is to, “protect the Canadian national interests and combat terrorism and threats to Canadians at home and abroad.” With a couple hundred active duty personnel, this does not mean the unit is small, on the contrary, this means it’s extremely elite.
And on this team sat Devon Larratt. For 16 years, he served as a high-ranking special forces operator on JTF2.
Service And Armwrestling
16 years in the military and 7 deployments to Afghanistan left him with wounds that were both physical and mental in nature. As a civilian, I cannot even fathom what spending a decade and a half on a Special Forces team can do to your body. Overseas, he trained for armwrestling by competing against fellow service members.
Subsequently, he was wounded in action on deployment. When he retired from JTF2, he was left wounded inside and out. Devon Larratt is not particularly outspoken about his issues—he has thicker skin than a rhinoceros. You have to be that way when you are in that kind of field. But, from videos and talks I could find, he struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) once he returned and used armwrestling, in conjunction with medical treatment, to reacclimate himself to life back home.
Sitting On The Armwrestling Throne Forever
Devon Larratt is now, and will forever be, the King of the Table. He is married to his bombastic wife, Jodi Larratt, and they have three kids together (champions in the making). His growth from Canadian Special Forces to a magnanimous armwrestler is a wicked cool story, and one that only furthers his persona at armwrestling matches.
He is a world heavyweight champion in armwrestling. Listing all the awards, accolades, and trophies he has won in his career would take up another page. Without Devon Larratt, his personality, his love for the sport, and his appreciate for fans, armwrestling would not be the sport it is today. So with a little history, and a little respect, this post is an appreciation post for the Greatest of All Time and the man who brought armwrestling from the competition table to the kitchen table. Armwrestling is now a serious sport with serious acclaim, many excellent athletes, and an enthusiastic following—all thanks to Devon Larratt.