'Fun fact - I'm the world's 10th strongest woman'

3 hours ago

Alice CunninghamSuffolk

News image — Jade Skill, pictured during a previous event, has just a few day to rest before her next strength competition

Pursuit Images Jade Skill lifts a barbell with various weights on each end. She has dark hair that has been plaited back and wears a black T-shirt with chalk over it. Her cheeks are puffed out with the effort of lifting the weight. — Jade Skill, pictured during a previous event, has just a few day to rest before her next strength competition

Jade Skill only started going to the gym 18 months ago, but can now claim to be the 10th strongest woman in the world.

During her workouts, Skill, 34, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, realised she was more powerful than she first thought and started entering competitions.

At the weekend, she stepped on to the global stage by taking part in the World's Strongest Man and Woman 2026, held near Glasgow and run by the Natural Strongman Federation.

She finished 10th, and said becoming one of the strongest women on the planet had felt "surreal".

Jade Skill A group of women wearing matching black T-shirts with red foxes printed on the front. They stand in rows and smile at the camera. — Skill (bottom row on the left) pictured with other women who competed in the world event

"I went out for a couple of celebratory drinks and in the taxi home I just randomly went, 'Hey, fun fact - I'm the 10th strongest woman in the world'," she said.

"[The taxi driver] was like, 'What?'.

"It doesn't feel real. I am very proud."

Jade Skill A woman competing in a strongman competition. She is carrying a silver keg and attempting to lift it on to a high shelf. Stewards watch her with one also holding a stop watch. — Skill had to carry heavy kegs and lift them on to a high shelf

Skill competed in local strength events before moving up to national and then European tournaments.

Ahead of the world championship, she started mindset coaching to ensure she had a positive outlook to help ease her nerves.

While admitting she had struggled in some of the challenges - injuring her hand and ankle - she said she had been "chuffed" with her final result.

"At the end of day one I was 8th, then at the second event on day two I was sitting in 11th," she continued.

"I just wanted to make top 10... all the women are obviously the best in the world, so I knew I had to try hard on the last event."

Skill only has a few days rest before another competition in Hampshire on Sunday.

Luke Deal/BBC A woman in a gym raises a long cylinder-shaped weight above her head. She is smiling. She is wearing a red T-shirt. Various pieces of gym equipment are behind her. — Skill said the world competition was a big jump up in terms of the weight she had to lift and the calibre of athletes

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