Weightlifting Mum Competes To Become England’s Strongest Woman

Becki Barrett personifies the mantra ‘Strong, not skinny’.

The 32-year-old mum-of-one from Reading has won a place in England’s Strongwoman Championships despite having never touched a set of weights before 2012.

Becki was encouraged to try out weightlifting by boyfriend Adam Hales two years ago and has gone from strength to strength – pardon the pun.

“I had never thought about weightlifting,” admitted the nursery worker.

“I thought weights were for people who wanted to be big and muscly.”

“[Adam] convinced me to have a go at weightlifting and we were both surprised by my strength.”

Standing at just 5ft, Becki’s strength is seriously impressive.

Not only can she easily carry her six-year-old daughter Kayla alongside a week’s shopping, Becki can deadlift up to 21st – that’s 294 bags of sugar to you and me.

She can easily lift 14st Adam and can even pull the family car with Adam and Kayla inside!

“It's a shock to a lot of people that I'm so strong. I'm quite small so when I tell people I'm competing in England's Strongwoman Championship no-one really believes me.”

“I think a lot of people associate the competition with big, butch women. But I want to show that this isn't the case.”

Becki has set her sights on taking home the gold at the Strongwoman competition in September and hopes her new found strength can inspire her daughter.

“Thankfully Kayla is really interested in what I'm doing - she loves watching me train and coming to competitions,” said Becki.

“I ask her if she'd like to try it when she's older and she's adamant that she won't at the moment but she does like to have a go sometimes.

“I think I'm a positive role model for her - it's good to show her that anything is possible.”

Becki is just one of the women who are tearing down the stereotypes of women and weightlifting, alongside blogs like Women Who Lift and stars like Jessica Ennis-Hill, who have proved that strength training is not just a man’s game.

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