He achieved global fame as an athlete and twice crowned world’s strongest man, but today neighbours in his Lincolnshire village paid tribute to the Geoff Capes they knew – ‘a fantastic character with a huge heart’.
The ex-Olympian shot-putter passed away in the picture postcard village of Stoke Rochford near Grantham, aged 75.
Shocked neighbours had known he suffered from poor health and told how in recent months, a team of carers visited his charming £600,000 house, near the parish Church of St Andrew and St Mary.
‘We all knew Geoff had been unwell for some time and we hadn’t seen him around,’ said one villager.
‘He spent his days at home and had rarely ventured out in the past year.’
The ex-Olympian shot-putter (centre) passed away in the picture postcard village of Stoke Rochford near Grantham, aged 75
Geoff was well known in the local area and in 2019 was the guest of honour at a local gym, the Rhinos in Stamford, where he was photographed on a mobility scooter laughing
Geoff, who stood at 6ft 5in and weighed 27-stone, is understood to have suffered ‘problems with his legs.’
His exact illness and cause of death have not been confirmed by his family.
One resident added: ‘We’re shocked and saddened by Geoff’s death. He was only 75 and that’s not so old nowadays.
‘There’s speculation he died from a heart attack or organ failure but we don’t know for sure. Our thoughts are with his family and close friends.
‘He did have carers coming into help him but people living in this village keep themselves to themselves and don’t like to pry. It’s a very small place and it’s a delightful place to live.
‘He had problems with his legs but was not in a wheelchair or bed bound.’
The sporting hero’s widow Kashmiro Capes-Bhatti, married to him for 40 years, spent today in her garden, being offered condolences by locals walking past her front gate and thanking them for their kind words.
Known to locals as ‘Kashi’, she is an education consultant has a high-powered job as head of quality assurance for international employment agency Gi Group.
There has been speculation that the incredible 13,000-calorie-a-day Geoff ate when at his strongman peak in the 1970s and married to his first wife Gill, could have put him on the road to health problems in later life.
Geoff, Gill and their two children Emma, now aged 50, and Lewis, 53, featured in vintage BBC footage showing the mountains of food Geoff put away each day to build up his muscles.
The two-time winner of World’s Strongest Man would rack up well over 13,000 calories a day with his incredible appetite.
The recommended average daily consumption for an adult man is 2,500 calories – so Capes would eat more than five times as much as his fellows.
There has been speculation that the incredible 13,000-calorie-a-day Geoff ate when at his strongman peak in the 1970s and married to his first wife Gill (above), could have put him on the road to health problems in later life
At his storming peak, Capes would much through a box of cereal, seven pints of milk, two tins of pilchards, three cartons of cottage cheese, two loaves of bread, a leg of lamb, two steaks, a dozen eggs, a pound of butter, a pint of orange juice, a tin of baked beans, a jar of honey, a grapefruit and two tins of tuna every day
Geoff was the two-time winner of World’s Strongest Man
Geoff Capes uses his incredible strength to life a car in 1981
Geoff Capes and topless models Leilani (L) and Holly (R) launch his Save Our Takeaways campaign
Much of his food was sponsored – with a national chain of butchers funding his meat supply, his pilchards being delivered in bulk and even his daily seven pints of milk supplied free.
But despite his dedication, the 17-time British, Commonwealth and European champion never won the Olympic medal he so craved, finishing sixth in Montreal and eight in the Moscow games.
Naveed Sattar, a medical doctor and expert in metabolic medicine at the university of Glasgow, warned that high BMIs are often associated with a shorter life expectancy.
He told MailOnline: ‘Having a high BMI and Geoff’s was over 40 latterly, is associated with shorter life expectancy.
‘If BMI is more than 30, at age 40, men lose around 6-7 years of life expectancy compared to men with BMI under 25 – which is about what happened with Mr Capes i.e. 75 years instead of UK average of 82. But even still, he lived an incredible life.’
One villager Lee recounted the last time he saw Geoff inside his home about two months ago – and will never forget his kind gesture, saying: ‘He is a fantastic character and had a huge heart.’
Lee explained: ‘My little puppy was attacked in the village and there was a big commotion.
‘Geoff’s wife came running out, at the time he was incapacitated. She could see I was really upset and she invited me in and I spoke to Geoff.’
One villager Lee recounted the last time he saw Geoff inside his home about two months ago – and will never forget his kind gesture, saying: ‘He is a fantastic character and had a huge heart’
Former police physical training instructor Geoff won the hearts of millions of fans and admirers throughout his life as a GB athlete
The Royal family share a joke with Geoff Capes as they attend the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland. Left to right are: The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Prince Charles and Geoff Capes. 4th September 1982
Standing at 6ft 5′ and weighing 27 stone the ex-Olympian won the hearts of millions of fans and admirers throughout his life as a GB athlete. Pictured lifting six women on a gameshow
Lee’s Cockapoo had been savaged and had its leg broken by another resident’s Doberman Pinscher.
He told MailOnline: ‘I’d met Geoff a few times in the past as neighbours and he was really nice to me and seeing I was so stressed he offered to pay the vet’s bill which was so kind. It was a beautiful thing.
‘It was over £5,000 but in the end the other dog owner paid.
‘Geoff loves animals and birds. He has canaries at home and an Alsatian guard dog.’
Lee added: ‘I told Geoff how I used to watch him as a kid and he was an inspiration to me.
‘I was always a weedy kid and seeing him inspired merry do weight training and get healthy and fit.
Lee told how he was not aware of any obvious illness but had heard rumours, saying: ‘When I saw him he was still a big man but he looked well and was in good spirits.
‘We were sitting in his conservatory chatting for some time.
‘I’m very sorry to hear of his passing.’
Geoff was well known in the local area and in 2019 was the guest of honour at a local gym, the Rhinos in Stamford, where he was photographed on a mobility scooter laughing and joking with competitors as he awarded prizes in a Strongman competition, as head judge.
Another local couple told how they saw lots of activities at the star’s home yesterday – on the day the family announced his death.
He represented Britain at three Olympics and Commonwealth Games during his career
Shot Putt Athlete Geoff Capes At Cadbury’s Mini Champions Competiton With Mini Athletes Ross Woodbridge (left) And Claire Wager (right)
Capes throws during the Shot Put competition at the British International Games on 10th August 1974 at Crystal Palace
The man said: ‘There were lots of people visiting awhile had turned up in flash cars but we don’t know who they were.
‘We knew Geoff had been in bad health and we hadn’t seen him in the village for ages. It is such a small place with one street and you can’t avoid your neighbours!
‘We don’t know the circumstances of his death yet and we hadn’t seen or heard any ambulances coming to the scene.
‘The family will share how he died if and when they want to. He was a nice fella who has had a great life.’
Former police physical training instructor Geoff won the hearts of millions of fans and admirers throughout his life as a GB athlete.
He made his name as the country’s greatest ever shot putter and the national record he set back in 1980 still stands today.
The 17-time British, Commonwealth and European champion never won the Olympic medal he so craved, finishing sixth in Montreal and eight in the Moscow games.
But he moved on to conquer the world as a ‘strongman.’
A family statement released yesterday read: ‘The family of Geoffrey Capes would like to announce his sad passing today, 23rd October.’
Tributes have begun flooding in from members of the public for the Lincolnshire born and bred father of two and grandad of four.
