A 27-year-old man's rare genetic disorder has helped him achieve the status of being a real-life Popeye, Australia's Yahoo7 Sport reported.

Matthias Schlitte, from Haldensleben, Germany, has a disorder that has enlarged his right arm much more than his left, prompting him to use this advantage to become a professional arm wrestling champion.

According to the Daily Mail, Schlitte now has a right forearm that measures 46cm (18 in) around. 

"Everyone has a challenge in life," Schlitte said. "I'm not a religious guy or anything but this was a gift from a higher power and this was my calling in life."

"I first discovered I could use my gift when I was three years of age. We had a family oven at home in Germany and I picked up a rather large bucket of coal for the oven and carried it around for my mother, which was probably very uncommon for a three-year-old," he told 7 Sport. 

Schlitte has become popular by the nickname "Hellboy" after  he began competing in arm wrestling competitions in 2004. His mother spotted a flyer at a gas station looking for male arm wrestlers up to 90kg (198 lbs.) and signed him up.

"I was 16 and I went into this small bar in Haldensleben and I only weighed 65kg (143 lbs.)," he said. "All these bigger men were laughing at me, but when I beat them all the men changed from laughing to respect and the rest is history." 

The German wrestler has managed to earn eight German national championships, 14 international championships, and even beat a specially designed arm wrestling robot.

He is also been named the youngest ever champion of an international tournament inspired by the arm wrestling movie, Sylvester Stallone's "Over The Top."

Playing up his supersized strength in comedic commercials for the Australian company, AEG Powertools, Schlitte claims to be grateful for his unusual strength.

"I have spent 10 years traveling around the world doing what I love."