By Karoline Robak
Mike Johns, an award-winning old-fashioned strongman, never imagined he’d be traveling the world bending horseshoes and juggling bowling balls. After graduating from York University in 2009 with a BA in Political Economy, he began working as an insurance broker when he decided it just wasn’t enough.
“I decided on the weekends, I’m going to do something. I used to like performing,” said Johns. Johns grew up in Bedford, Nova Scotia, and learned magic tricks, performing them at birthday parties. He described watching the street performers in Toronto’s Buskerfest, where his family moved when he was 16.
After five years in the insurance business, Johns began bringing his gear to the office, and he’d leave right after to perform in the streets of Toronto.
“I’d do these little shows, try and gather a group of people, do some things, and pass the hat for tips. It would be like 16 dollars in the hat, and I’d say Okay, back to the insurance company Monday,” said Johns. He said this went on for about a year and a half, wooing crowds in the afternoons and returning to the office in the morning.
“I called myself Mike’s Mix of Tricks. I’ve got a mix of tricks that I would do balancing and juggling, a bit of magic, just a mashup of everything I could think to do,” explained Johns.
Johns found his official name, Mighty Mike, when he decided to wear a mustache for a change and his friend said, “You look like those old strong man guys,” describing the striped outfits and pork pie hats from the 1920’s carnivals. Johns describes the moment as the universe telling him something. He took it as a lesson, to take your friend’s advice and listen to the universe when you can.
“I listened right up, exactly what he described, and it’s been my full-time job for the last decade,” said Johns. He’s performed from Toronto to Kuwait, winning multiple awards, twice at the Halifax International Busker Festival in 2018 and 2023, and once at the Festival International des Artistes de Rue in Vevey, Switzerland in 2018. Johns also holds two Guinness World Records under his belt, one for most juggling catches in one minute in 2016, and most bowling balls juggled in 2022.
Johns spoke about Dennis Rodgers, a strongman who taught him how to drive a nail through a board only using his hand, and how difficult it was working with skeptical crowds.
“It was one (act) I gave up… people were always like, Oh so what’s the trick there? You got something in your hands? And I’m like, no, everyone’s too skeptical,” said Johns
Instead, he juggles 10-pound bowling balls, a feat much harder to fake, and woos the crowd with his humor.
“I make jokes the whole time, and if they’re entertained by that, then I don’t care if they think it’s fake, you know, as long as you have a good time,” said Johns.
Not only can he bend horseshoes, but he’s also amazing at working a crowd. Johns explains how his favorite part of his job is crowd work, and how the audience really adds to the show.
“We build sandcastles for a living, and there’s nothing like it. We can try to describe it, or even I could have a full video of the show, but you can’t feel the same feeling” said Johns.
He explains how he enjoys the challenge of meeting new crowds and cultivating smiles.
“It’s like a Rubik’s cube that you have to keep solving,” he remarked. “Who knows? Maybe I’ve done the best show that I’ll ever do already. It’s something I feel is good to dedicate my life to, it’s not like you get a product, like a painter does. I have to recreate [my work] in the moment all the time, like it is a bit something greater than me.”
Johns shares his life within the show, to have the audience walk away with smiles and valuable lessons. He sustained an arm injury in 2023 when he joined a performance of a break-dancing crew as a joke.
“Would I have done it again? Yes, of course, it was a big joke. It was like doing a joke that makes your friends laugh,” said Johns.
Johns suffered mentally from his accident, and later incorporated it into his performance. He shared the importance of not giving up, and checking in on others who are having a hard time.
“I do get messages from people saying stuff like… hey, I’m in recovery, I’m three months sober…I needed to hear that today, and it’s stuff like that that’s worth more than people giving me a tip,” said Johns.
“It hurts my arm to juggle a bowling ball but if I don’t do it, the world is a little worse. I want everyone to do their thing and get the world a little bit better,” Johns shared.
