Prior to his career as a strongman competitor, Girard worked as a
bouncer in a popular
Quebec City nightclub on weekends while attending community college. In the early 1990s, he went to
Los Angeles in order to either pursue a career as a professional
bodybuilder or as an
actor. After a few months, Girard came back to the province of Quebec where he was later hired as a
police officer for the city of
Gatineau. Girard focused on
Strongman competition, and became a 6-time consecutive finalist in the
World's Strongest Man competition from 1998-2004. Girard's highest placing was 4th place at the
1999 World's Strongest Man contest. In 2002 Girard reached the high point of his career to date, winning the 2002
Strongman Super Series overall title. Girard has also won the
World Muscle Power Championships 4 times, in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004. Girard dominated strongman competition in
Canada for several years. He was the
Canada's Strongest Man champion from 1999 to 2004. He was also the
North America's Strongest Man champion in 2001 and 2002. Beginning in 2004, injuries began to plague his career including back to back injuries to his
achilles tendon in 2005, the first of which took place at the 2005
Arnold Strongman Classic forcing him to retire from the contest. These injuries required a long period of
rehabilitation, and nearly a year and a half to fully recover. At one point Girard was in a cast up to his waist. Girard's comeback took place at the 2006
Mohegan Sun Super Series event. After winning the first event, he tore his
patellar tendon in the second event, the Conan's Wheel and was forced to retire from the contest. He attempted to compete in the
North America's Strongest Man Competition in 2007, but withdrew due to injury. Girard was able to bounce back in 2008, winning Quebec's Strongest Man. This win qualified Girard for the 2008
Canada's Strongest Man contest. Girard was leading the contest after the first day, but suffered yet another injury on the second day of competition and tearfully announced his retirement from strongman competition. Girard broke several records during his career, some of which are still standing today. He has held records in events such as the log press, apollon's axle press, crucifix hold, farmer's walk
Atlas stones,
bench press, truck pull and
squat. He has also pulled an 80-ton
Boeing 737 for a short distance. Due to his strength, Girard is often compared to fellow Quebec native
Louis Cyr, a dominant nineteenth-century strongman who was considered the strongest man in history at the turn of the century. Girard has trained several other strongmen in the
Ottawa and
Gatineau regions, including Travis Lyndon and
Jessen Paulin, who has participated in the World's Strongest Man competition and succeeded Girard as Canada's Strongest Man in 2005 and 2006. Girard is currently a member of the organization of the
Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival that takes place every
Labour Day weekend. He is also the current president of the Canadian Federation of Strength Athletes. In addition to his career as a strongman, Girard served as a police officer for 12 years. Girard was the subject of a documentary film called "Strongman: Hugo Girard" in 2002. The film shows Girard's training for the 2002
North America's Strongest Man competition, which he eventually won. The film also features his training partners
Jessen Paulin and Travis Lyndon. The film was directed by Alan Black and released by Top of the World Films. ==Personal records==