England’s strongest man and lady fell in love whereas lifting weights
Superfit Joe Brown has just been crowned England’s Strongest Man and partner Rosie Abercrombie has twice won England’s strongest woman
England’s strongest man and woman who fell in love after meeting at the gym while lifting 500lbs weights.
Meet the country’s ultimate power couple – England’s strongest man and woman who fell in love after meeting at the gym while lifting 500lbs weights. Joe Brown has just been crowned England’s Strongest Man while Rosie Abercrombie has twice won England’s strongest woman.
The pair met in the gym back 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 where they spend a “fortune” on food shopping and supplements while jointly running a gym.
The couple consume 90,000 calories a week and fork out more than £2,000 a month munching through 3kg of chicken, 2kg of mince and between 20-30 eggs as part of their diet. The super-fit pair can both lift 500lbs (35 stone) weights – the equivalent of a baby hippo or grizzly bear.
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” across his back, lifting a 90kg “daddy dumbbell” and lifting a series of Atlas stones. Meanwhile, Rosie’s passion for sport began as a single mum suffering from post-natal depression and wanting to lose some weight.
She had been working behind the desk at the same gym Joe attended and he convinced her to give it 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 I started by doing crossfit training and it spiralled from there
“I got into strongman after meeting Joe at the gym where I was working in 2022. It just fascinated me as it was just 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. As it takes up so much time there isn’t much room for anyone else who doesn’t like this sport. “
Rosie was crowned England’s strongest woman for under 73kg category in 2023 and then under 64kg in 2025. She added: “It has been amazing. I took to it like a duck to water really and it has been my passion ever since.
“I have a nine-year-old daughter Ronnie and Joe has very much become an amazing step-dad to her. He is a father figure 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 had 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.”
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 then for dinner the pair will have a chilli or a spag bol.
Rosie, who weighs 11 stone and can deadlift 220kilos, 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, 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 the 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.
“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 strong man. 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.”
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.”
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