Ipswich strongwoman excels in first major competition
Chloe Leggett, 22, has only been competing in Strongwoman events since May this year, and she finished fifth in the Official Strongwoman Games (OSG) European Championship.
An Ipswich women finished fifth at her first try competing in the Official Strongwoman Games (OSG) European Championship held in Harrogate at the start of the month (3-4 October).
The OSG European Championships have been running since 2019, and sees Europe's most strongest men and women compete to see who is the strongest.
Competitors came from all across Europe to compete in the games in Yorkshire, in a variety of challenges including deadlifts, sandbag toss and shield carry.
Chloe Leggett, from Bucklesham, competed in the Women's Open category, an unrestrictive weight category, in her first major competition. The 22 year old had previously only competed in two previous competitions before qualifying for the Europeans in Ipswich and Colchester.
"I started doing competitions as I was at a weird point in my life,
"I saw people doing Hyrox and running marathons and thought that's not really me! I saw Ipswich Strongest [Strongman competition] and knew I was going to be massively out of my depth as I did not have that much time to train for it, but I signed up and things have picked up from there."
Chloe told 1473.co.uk that is is not just the actual competitions she enjoys: "It is the process of training I enjoy most.
"The training is brutal, it is exhausting the food is intense. But building on week on week to a competition is really really motivating to improve and hit PBs every week."
"It is also crazy to look back on and compare from where I started, I could barely lift a deadlift bar now I am doing a 210kg deadlift!"
Chloe came fifth overall in the Women's Opens, competing against seasoned professionals who are more experienced and older than her, the winner of her category was Clare Myler - who was competing in her 4th OSG European competition.
"Europe's was a huge step for me. It was only my third competition."
"Competing was amazing. It was challenging both mentally and physically, even a week after I'm still feeling the impacts of everything!"
"It was so enjoyable seeing all the hard work come together, I was so nervous coming into the weekend but afterwards I finally sat down as was like 'Wow I just did that!''
Chloe is now going into her off season of rest and recuperation before starting training again for her next competition: "In February I am going to be competing in Natural Strongman Englands [to be held in Bolton] and from there I hope to compete in the UK & Ireland's and even the Worlds!"
"You've got to pick the right competitions for you, because they hammer your body to pieces!"
