Lucy Underdown

Last updated
Lucy Underdown
Personal information
Nationality English
Born (1990-05-18) 18 May 1990 (age 35)
England
Occupation Strongman
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight115 kg (254 lb)
Medal record
Strongman
Representing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
World's Strongest Woman
4th2022 World's Strongest Woman
2nd2023 World's Strongest Woman
Arnold Pro Strongman World Series
2nd 2024 Arnold Strongwoman Classic
6th 2025 Arnold Strongwoman Classic
Rogue Invitational
3rd 2024 Rogue Invitational
Arnold Amateur Strongman World Series
7th2020 Arnold Amateur Strongwoman World Championships
1st2024 Arnold UK
Official Strongman Games
1st2023 OSG European Championship
UK's Strongest Woman
3rd2021 UKSW
3rd2022 UKSW
Britain's Strongest Woman
2nd2023 BSW
1st2024 BSW
1st2025 BSW

Lucy Underdown (born 18 May 1990) is an English strongwoman competitor and a police woman from Kent. [1]

Contents

One of the best female deadlifters in the world, she is the first (and currently the only) woman to deadlift 700 lb and holds both standard bar and elephant bar women's deadlift records in strongwoman with 325 kg (717 lb) and 306.5 kg (676 lb) respectively.

Early life

Being inspired by her twin sister Amy, Underdown was drawn towards athletics at a young age. She competed in sprinting first and then moved to shot put and discus and became one of the best female throwers in the United Kingdom, ranking either first or second from age 12 into her 20's. [2] After 17 years of competition, she quit in 2017.

Strongman career

Underdown began competing in strongwoman in 2018, winning the local Brighton's Strongest Woman show. She later won Britain's Natural Strongest Woman, qualifying her for the 2020 Arnold Amateur Strongwoman World Championships, her first international competition [2] where she placed seventh out of ten competitors.

Underdown entered pro circuit in 2021 at UK's Strongest Woman, placing third. [3] She quickly emerged as one of the best deadlifters and in 2021, deadlifted 300 kg (661 lb). [a] [4] In 2023 at Official Strongman Games, Underdown became the first woman to deadlift 317.5 kg (700 lb). [1] [5] Later in 2023, she reached second place in the World's Strongest Woman competition, tying with first-place Rebecca Roberts on points but losing on a tiebreaker. [6]

In 2024, she won 2024 Arnold UK and Britain's Strongest Woman. [6] She also reached the podium at 2024 Rogue Invitational. At 2024 Arnold Strongwoman Classic, she set the world record in the elephant bar deadlift. [7] In 2024 World Deadlift Championship, Underdown extended her own standard bar deadlift record with 325 kg (717 lb), [8] breaking the strongwoman deadlift record for the third time.

In 2025, she also extended her own elephant bar deadlift record with 306.5 kg (676 lb) at 2025 Arnold Strongwoman Classic, after briefly losing it to Andrea Thompson. [9] However she ended up in sixth place in the full show. She also earned her second consecutive Britain's Strongest Woman title. [10]

Personal life

Underdown is married to Jonathan Kelly, a strongman competitor from Ireland. She suffers from anxiety [1] and has expressed frustration at the harassment strongwomen receive on social media.

Personal records

Notes

  1. ↑ Eventhough, both Becca Swanson (in 2005) and Crystal Tate (in 2018), had already deadlifted 300 kg (661 lb) in sanctioned powerlifting competitions, Underdown is the first woman to achieve it under strongwoman sport and rules.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lucy Underdown". Giants Live.
  2. 1 2 "Lucy Underdown: Queen of the Deadlift on Top of the World". 14 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "Strongman Archives - Lucy Underdown". strongmanarchives.com.
  4. ↑ Colucci, Chris (September 5, 2023). "Lucy Underdown Breaks Record at 2023 World Deadlift Championship as First Woman to Deadlift 318 Kilograms (700 Pounds)".
  5. ↑ "6 ft, 242 Lbs Strongwoman Becomes "First Woman in History" to Deadlift Nearly Equal to Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger". EssentiallySports. 2023-09-10. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  6. 1 2 "Underdown Blows Them Away at Britain's Strongest Woman". Giants Live. 2024-06-24. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  7. ↑ "2024 Arnold Strongman & Strongwoman Classic Results & Leaderboard | BarBend". 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  8. ↑ "Lucy Underdown Sets Massive 325-kg (716.5-lb) Deadlift World Record at 2024 World Deadlift Championships". Fitness Volt. September 29, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Lucy Underdown Sets 676-lb (306.6-kg) Elephant Bar Deadlift World Record at 2025 Arnold Strongwoman Classic". Fitness Volt. 2025-02-28. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  10. ↑ giants (2025-07-20). "Underdown Hits Overdrive to Take Second British Title". Giants Live. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
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