Suffolk woman qualifies for World Natural Strongman and Woman 2026

Jade Skill will compete in Scotland in August in the Natural World's Strongest Man & Woman 2026

A woman who only started competing in strength competitions a year ago has now qualified for a global competition.

Jade Skill, 34, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, started going to the gym in January last year to get fitter, but soon realised she was incredibly strong.

In just a few months, she was taking part in competitions that test athletes through a series of exercises.

This month, she found out she had qualified for the Natural World's Strongest Man and Woman event in Scotland in August. She said she was "a bit nervous" but was ready to get training.

In April, Skill competed in the UK and Ireland's Strongest Woman competition, where she came fifth overall.

"They were all events I like, apart from the overhead [lift], but actually I got a massive PB on that, so I was really pleased," she said.

Skill said it had been a great learning experience and meant she qualified for the European competition. However, she pulled out of this contest after finding out she had qualified for a world event.

She immediately rang her coach and her parents to share the good news.

Skill said she was feeling some nerves, but was ready to get training for the big event

Asked how she felt ahead of the competition, Skill said: "I'm a bit nervous because some of the events are a bit heavier than I was anticipating.

"But it's good to have goals... I'll try, I'll give it everything, and I'll try my hardest to put everything and all my energy into it."

Skill only started training for strength competitions last year

The event is being held in Paisley near Glasgow in Scotland between 21 and 23 August.

Skill has to balance her training with her full-time job, and she said funding her sport can be difficult at times, and she looks for sponsors.

"I normally wouldn't ask for anyone to sponsor me for local competitions, even if they were up north, which most of them are," she said.

"But just the thought of going to Scotland, still obviously trying to run my house and trying to do my day-to-day job, still have money for all of that while also going to Scotland to compete at Worlds, it's just very difficult to see how it's going to work."

Skill said some businesses had already generously offered to help her, and she was now focused on building strength over the next few weeks ahead of the competition.

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