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

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, external.

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

"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."

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.

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