He's strong, built like a tank, laughs loudly, trains long and hard and talks endlessly about the positives in life.
He loves to eat; a whole chicken a day, broccoli, 15 eggs, and oatmeal loaded with raisins and bananas.
Levi Vaoga - the super fit strongman known as the Mitre 10 Mr Mega for the past 12 years - said he's a happy man running his women's gym Femme Fizek in Taihape.
His television contract with Mitre 10 was terminated unceremoniously in June, he said.
"There was no announcement. It just ended."
Levi said while the money was great, he had a fantastic run and it was Mitre 10's decision to make.
Nearly six months on people still stop him in the street, supermarkets, and shopping malls wanting pictures and an autograph.
And he is now being asked as himself to public occasions, not Mr Mega. He is still the strongman who has been competing in the World Strongman competitions for 16 years, was a sumo wrestler and a martial arts exponent.
He regularly talks to school children about the value of good food, regular exercise and not staying glued to the sofa watching telly or playing computer games.
His trademark mohawk haircut and his beard are in the process of being bleached in preparation for his role as Father Christmas next week in Auckland, for a production with Jason Gunn.
"I love it. I'll be a great Santa ... but they're having to make me a very large suit," he roars with laughter.
Whanganui born and bred Levi said he was brought up in the "Bronx" of the River City.
"There were two bad streets and I grew up in one of them in Whanganui East."
Despite that, he said his childhood was fantastic and even as a "small, skinny boy of nine" he wanted to grow to be the world's strongest man.
Athletics, rowing, rugby and soccer and later the gym were the strongest influences in his life.
"I always knew where I wanted to go and I was determined to be big and strong."
He remembers his time working on road gangs for the Whanganui District Council.
"It was hard physical work of course but I absolutely knew what I wanted and needed. Lifting great slabs of asphalt, hauling tree stumps, digging, really getting your back into it you know."
These days he mixes his training up with gym work as well as strongman training like log lifts, tyre flipping, stone lifting and truck pulling.
Levi has his own fully equipped gym at home at Hihitahi between Taihape and Waiouru.
"I train in my home-built gym and since competing in strongman competitions my gym equipment has been expanded to include chains and bands as well as stones, farmer's walks, logs and tyres, just to mention the basics."
But running his women's gym is satisfying and huge fun, he said.
Most of his gym girls are older women who have been referred to him by local health professionals.
"They are very funny and I try to convince them that with a bit of effort they can loosen up, get over that frozen shoulder or stiff back with good solid regular exercise."
His gym was formerly a Jehovah's Witness Church.
"And I can tell you miracles do happen here.
"I tell the women this is the fountain of youth here. That exercise and a good diet does work miracles."
Everything he has achieved, he's done on his own, he said.
"I sincerely believe that you can achieve anything you want in life if you put your mind to it."
His future goal is to open a strongman gym and help others achieve their goals in and out of the gym, he said.
"It will be a place where I can personally train people or maybe even help an upcoming strongman athlete like myself to become the world's strongest man."
At 200kg, giant Levi's mantra is "Big is Good".
He loved being the Mr Big of New Zealand commercials and reckons it was a bit like his childhood dreams of being Superman.
During his 20s, Levi spent time in the army where he tried martial arts and had a go at sumo wrestling.
For his sumo wrestling there was no place he could go to learn.
"So I studied three videos and got into it that way. You know rewind, pause and all that. I learned from the masters," he grinned.
But it's the strongman competition where his heart lies, even though he said he's really a retired strongman these days.
He started when he and his wife lived in Tauranga and he used to drive round shearing sheds with his mate and bag up "sheep s***" to sell.
"We used to go out on the weekends and sell it door to door to people who loved it for their gardens."
One weekend his mate said they should go to the A&P show in Te Puke and that Levi should enter the strongman competition.
"I didn't have a clue what you did but off we went anyway and signed in."
After hefting logs and running with them, then heaving over heavy drums Levi won and was named Mr Te Puke Strongman and handed $300 cash.
"After that we started following the A&P shows.
"I was Mr Whakatane Strongman the next week and got $500 - a week's wages for an hour of work."
Since 1998 he's pushed, lifted, and carried thousands of kilograms. The big men lift and heave huge boulders from one place to another in the shortest time. Or pull a truck or tractor, hold a weight for the longest time and lift a car.
Any activity that involves super human strength, that's the strongman event, he said.
He is still the only Kiwi who's competed in the international strongman competitions 11 times.
In his Taihape gym overlooking the Rangitikei river beside the distinctive tall cliffs, Levi said he is a content and happy man.
"It's beautiful here. It's quiet, peaceful and you hear the birds singing all day."
When his older women come in for their workout Levi quickly changes the music and gets them working out to Abba, Neil Diamond and even Elvis.
"They love it, we have a good laugh and work out hard."