Before last year Jade Skill had never done much intense training in the gym, but now the woman who did not know her own strength has just come third in Natural Strongman England's Strongest Woman competition.
The 34-year-old from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, started going to the gym in January 2025 to get fitter, but other gymgoers soon noticed her incredible power.
In just a few months she was taking on Strongman competitions that test an athlete in a series of exercises.
Skill has to balance her training with her work at St Edmunds Hospital in the town and is now looking toward the UK & Ireland's Strongest Woman competition later this year.
Keen to get fit and lose weight after Christmas 2024, Skill joined Iron Island gym in Bury St Edmunds.
"I was doing my normal session, and down the bottom of the gym there's a Hyrox/CrossFit area... I thought 'That looks like fun', because I used to watch World's Strongest Man as a kid, and Britain's Strongest Man.
"At the end of my session I approached Matt, who ran the Strongman class, and said, 'Is this available to all members?'"
A few weeks later, Skill joined the beginners group, but soon learned she was stronger than she thought.
“They said, ‘You’re so naturally strong - have you done this before?’.
“I’d dabbled in the gym for years but never trained anything specific.
“I started trying loads of the implements and really enjoyed it. It was like a really fun training session and I felt I got loads out of it.”
Skill was encouraged to try the gym's own Strongman competition last May and while she initially had planned to enter the beginner category, the gym team suggested she tried the novice category.
“I was super nervous. I watched one of the girls at my gym train and realised she was super strong and I [thought] ‘I’m not going to do very well at this,’” she said.
“It turned out I got first in all of the events. I absolutely smashed it and I was really chuffed with myself.
“I found myself wanting more.”
During last year, Skill went on to win the Strongman competitions in Suffolk as well as in Norfolk, while also coming second in the Cambridgeshire event.
On Saturday she competed in England's Natural Strongman competition which involved events including deadlifts, where she lifted 200kg for two reps, a 90kg bag run where she covered 104m in 60 seconds, and several other tough rounds.
“It was really like a big test for me,” she said.
“On the day, six women dropped out, so actually there was only 20 of us in opens, but still a huge group of really strong women in there.
“I would have been really happy with a top 10... to get third is unreal.
“I’m so pleased about it. I didn’t think I’d be that good.”
Skill has now qualified for the UK and Ireland's Strongest Woman competition in April and is preparing for that.
She has to balance her training with her work, but said her employer, Circle Health Group, was supportive and encouraging.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without that because obviously I need to work to earn my money, but I also need to train to do my hobby,” she said.
Skill said her training empowered her and she aimed to keep pushing herself to her limits.