Ings trainer will compete in Natural Strongman World Championships

Emma Grunnill, 34, has only been training to compete in competitions for the last year. She joined a weight-lifting competition in her own gym, TNT in Cowan Bridge, out of interest but quickly her trainer was pushing her to move up the levels and compete. 

Emma will be competing in a world competition next month (Image: Official Strongman Games)

Emma, who is based in Ings and runs outdoor training sessions in the Lake District, came seventh overall in the Official Strong Man Games Europe in London last weekend. She uses a lock-up in the area as a place to store her equipment. For the competitions, she was sponsored by Dales Butchers, which is based in Kirkby Lonsdale. 

The events that she competed in over the weekend included a deadlift ladder that involved lifting 170kg, 190kg, 210kg and 230kg weights, and power stairs. For power stairs, she had to climb up a set of stairs quickly with 120kg, two sets of 130kg and 150kg weights. In this event, she came fourth. 

Emma had to compete in a number of events across the weekend (Image: Official Strongman Games)

This was made more impressive by the fact that the European competition she was in as a clean athlete was open to everyone. The Natural Strongman competition in Edinburgh she will be competing in on September 23 involves strict drug testing. 

She said: "I have always trained and last year my local gym ran a strongest man competition. I started training in November properly for competitions - it has been an absolute whirlwind, this weekend has been the biggest eye-opener. 

READ MORE: Kendal PE teacher defends title of England's Strongest man

"I train three hours around five to six times a week. I can't have asked more of myself really, I enjoy it. I like feeling strong, I like the discipline - you can't get to that level without discipline. I also like the community. In an international league you just chat to anybody. 

"It has a real community feel. This weekend when I was with a lot of people even though you are going in as a competitor you are all so supportive of each other."