Spanish Fork woman places third in ‘world’s strongest’ competition, discusses body image
Nov. 3 at the Ocean Center Arena Daytona Beach, Florida, is a date Rebecca Rowley of Spanish Fork won’t soon forget. After three days of competing against women from all over the world at the Strongman Games, Rowley beat out all but two, bringing home the title of third strongest woman on the planet.
The three-day competition consisted of events including progressive deadlifts in the 200-, 300- and 400-pound range; lifting over 200-pounds in overhead weight presses; walking three times across a 50-foot floor while carrying 200-pounds of dead weight, only to drag the combined 600-pounds back to the start; and lifting over 200-pounds up four large stairs three times.
According to Rowley, she has been preparing for this event for several months and years — perhaps even her entire life.
It was in second grade when Rowley noticed she was different from other girls. She had crooked teeth and hair she described as difficult to manage, and found herself being the subject of a lot of bullying. If these things weren’t hard enough for a child to deal with, Rowley was built differently from other girls, and said it was in elementary school when she began struggling with body dysmorphia.
“I was a thick, athletic girl, and wasn’t like many of the other girls,” she said. “I got teased, and I remember setting weight loss goals in elementary school. I remember people commenting on how dedicated I was at physical exercise, but if they only knew what was behind it all.”
A turning point happened in junior high when she joined track and field, focussing on the throwing events. This is when Rowley said she found a use for her strong build.
“When I was in seventh grade, I joined the track and field team, so my focus shifted from losing weight to becoming stronger,” she said. “I was good at it and it gave me confidence. I had to eat to be strong, and I had to train to be strong.”
Rowley’s newfound confidence and abilities earned her star athlete status as a thrower for Spanish Fork High School and then at the collegiate level at Weber State and Utah Valley universities throwing the discus and hammer.
She soon had her sights set on having a family and becoming a mother, and in time gave birth to two sons. And while she kept in good shape, even being a personal fitness trainer, Rowley sad she longed to be a competitive athlete at the top of her game again.
“I spent 7½ years away from competitive sports,” she said. “Being fit wasn’t enough for me because I have always been attached to a sport. I need to be part of something.”
In her profession as a fitness trainer, Rowley trained men to compete in the Strongman Games, and while doing so, decided she wanted to see how she would fair in competition. She eventually worked up to competing on a national level with Olympic Lifting. In 2017, she entered the Strongman Games finishing seventh place, and in 2018, she missed the podium by one, bringing home fourth place. She refocused for 2019, setting her sights on a podium finish, and achieved her goal.
Even after having achieved her goal, Rowley said being one of the strongest women in the world is so much more than that. The single mother of two who spent years being bullied and even more time working to define what it is to be a woman, said she wants to change how other girls see themselves.
“I love weight lifting because it’s a sport that allows for more body types to be celebrated,” she said. “Being part of competitive weight lifting has given me the chance to surround myself with other women who were ready to abandon society’s idea of what a woman should look like. It’s awesome to celebrate that my shoulders are bigger than the average man’s, and that the body I was embarrassed to have is beautiful. I can honestly say that I don’t want to look like that; I want to look like me.'”
As far as whether or not Rowley has her sights on another World Class standing is yet to be determined, but she says she’s not ruling it out.
“Training for these competitions takes a lot of time and money,” she said. “As a single mother and business owner, it is hard to know what to expect year to year, but you never know; I may try again. Right now, I am focusing on my family, my fitness and the fitness of those I train everyday.”
To continue to follow Rowley’s story, you can find her on Facebook on her Elevated Personal Training page or on Instagram @rebecca_rowleybear.
