“No Fame Games” brings the spirit of ancient Celtic strongman contests to Massachusetts

A Massachusetts highland games competition is bringing the spirit of ancient Celtic strongman contests to the modern day, kilts and all.

At the No Fame Games in Milford, barbells and plates are replaced with stones logs and kilts are the standard dress code.

Ancient Celtic competition

“It’s a great talking point, I say that the highland games elevator speech is that it’s track and field meets strongman in kilts,” said founder Joshua MacKintosh.

MacKintosh started the No Fame Games as a backyard grassroots movement back in 2021 with the hopes of fostering a highland games community in the Boston area.

“I felt like, wow, this is an amazing sport, it’s an amazing community and seeing these athletes compete, it blew my mind,” said MacKintosh. “They’re so welcoming and inviting and the biggest thing that I’ve found is how supportive and that we all want each other to do well.”

The message stuck and now thanks to MacKintosh’s dedication, more than 100 men, women and teenagers come out to celebrate and ancient Celtic tradition.

“A sense of belonging”

“So to be able to see that and to be a part of that and see the twinkle in those kids’ eyes as they’re lifting a stone or learning some wrestling or the tug of war that we had. To see that and to have that part of their experience in their life is, of course it’s very rewarding for me but I feel like it’s an amazing thing to give back to those that have come before us and to give back to the giants upon whose shoulders we stand,” said MacKintosh.

Eric Dawson, the owner of Titan Barbell Gym in Stoneham, is an award-winning strongman who has competed in highland games around the world. He’s one of the judges at the No Fame Games and has seen its impact firsthand.

“I think it provides a sense of belonging, to be honest with you, for a lot of people,” said Dawson. “Maybe they don’t have this sense of belonging at their work, work is a place they go and punch in and punch out and they go home. A place like this, a community like this, the gym, the community, the larger competitive strength community is a place where you can really form lifelong friendships with people and bonds.”

For MacKintosh, it’s about so much more than seeing how far you can hurl a stone.

“A rising tide lifts all boats, this is about us being stronger and getting stronger to be better to lift each other up,” said MacKintosh.