Strange ways to a former champion (5)
I believe the answer is:
alien
'strange' is the definition.
(synonyms)
I can't explain the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for alien that I've seen before include "Unfamiliar; foreign" , "Foreign - film directed by Ridley Scott" , "Foreign (from outer space?)" , "extraneous" , "Being from another world" .)