England's strongest man and woman fell in love while lifting weights. Superfit Joe Brown has just been crowned England's Strongest Man, and partner Rosie Abercrombie has twice won England's strongest woman.
Meeting at the Gym
The pair met at the gym in 2022 and quickly bonded over their love of pulling trucks, carrying yokes, and lifting 90kg 'daddy dumbbells'. Joe and Rosie, both 31, now live together in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs., with nine-year-old daughter Ronnie. They jointly run a gym and spend a 'fortune' on food shopping and supplements.
Diet and Training
The couple consume 90,000 calories a week and fork out more than £2,000 a month, eating 3kg of chicken, 2kg of mince, and between 20-30 eggs as part of their diet. They can both lift 500lbs (35 stone) weights—the equivalent of a baby hippo or grizzly bear.
Joe's Journey
Joe got into strongman competitions several years ago after trying to gain strength while competing in Judo. Last month, he beat 15 other contestants in Doncaster, South Yorks., to be crowned England's Strongest Man for the first time. He competed in brutal events including a 12-tonne truck pull, a Basque Stone lift, carrying a 400kg 'super yoke', lifting a 90kg 'daddy dumbbell', and lifting Atlas stones.
Rosie's Passion
Rosie's passion for sport began as a single mum suffering from post-natal depression and wanting to lose weight. She worked behind the desk at the same gym Joe attended, and he convinced her to give strongman a try. Mum-of-one Rosie, who runs the gym Shelter of Strength, said: 'I was never sporty at school and got into strongman by accident. After having a child in my 20s I was overweight and started with crossfit training, and it spiralled from there.'
She added: 'I got into strongman after meeting Joe at the gym where I was working in 2022. It just fascinated me as it was so weird and different—you just lift anything and everything. Joe and I became close friends and got together shortly afterwards—it was me who asked him out. I realised first I had feelings for him and one night when I was out having a drink with my girls, I drunkenly text him. Luckily he didn't run a mile, and four years on we're still together. We just bonded over our shared passion.'
Rosie was crowned England's strongest woman for the under 73kg category in 2023 and then under 64kg in 2025. She said: 'It has been amazing. I took to it like a duck to water, and it has been my passion ever since.'
Family Life
Rosie has a nine-year-old daughter Ronnie, and Joe has become an amazing step-dad to her. 'She's not really into the gym like we are—I think it bores her to be honest—but she's a very active child and does gymnastics and dance. I run the gym full time now and coach online; this has become a full-time job for me as competing is not that well paid. Joe works full-time, so we have to fit in family time when we can. It's not just the time and the work; it's eight hours' sleep every night, it's ticking the boxes with the nutrition. It's not just the time in the gym; it's our entire life really to some extent.'
Diet Details
Joe's diet typically consists of four or five eggs, sourdough, and Greek yoghurt for breakfast. Lunch can be a bowl of rice with 250g of chicken and vegetables, and for dinner the pair will have a chilli or a spag bol. Rosie, who weighs 11 stone and can deadlift 220kg, added: 'If we could get a supplement sponsorship that would be ideal because we spend an absolute fortune on supplements, proteins, and creatines. I get through about 5,000 calories a day while Joe gets through around 8,000, so our shopping bill can be pretty huge too. We train four days a week; I'll train for two hours while Joe will train for three—that's not because he does more, he's just slower than me.'
Joe's Background
Joe, who weighs 23 stone and works as an electrical automotive engineer, said: 'I was into Judo at first, but I knew I had to get stronger as I was getting thrown all over the mat. So I went to the gym and found myself there more than on the mat and thought I'd prefer to compete in gym-related competitions. I wasn't great at powerlifting but found I was good at the awkward lifts like yokes and sandbags, and it progressed from there. I worked from novice to intermediate and then up to the national competitions and won Midlands Strongest Man in 2025. I came eighth in England's Strongest Man that year, and then this year I finally won it. I was really surprised, but I stayed consistent on the day and didn't leave the top 3—it felt amazing. You spend eight months training for it to only do five minutes of competition as each event is only around 60 seconds long. But it was all worth it.'
He added: 'I met Rosie while she worked behind the desk at the gym, and we got chatting. She was into CrossFit but was looking for something new, so I recommended strongman. I did always fancy her, but I was worried we might ruin our friendship if we took it further and it didn't work out. But it turns out she was right.'
Future Goals
The pair now hope to win European titles when they compete at the Official Strongman Games in Harrogate, North Yorks., in October. Joe added: 'Rosie has already qualified, but I have to do a qualifier online—hopefully we can both be on the podium there.'
