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MITE-Y STRONG
Meet the world’s strongest 10-year-old who can squat the weight of a fridge, eats 3K calories a DAY & hates video games
PULLING a sturdy belt on tight and clipping it into place, Rowan O’Malley prepares to squat 100kg – the equivalent weight of a fridge-freezer.
But this isn’t your typical strong man.
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Rowan is just TEN.
Weighing 8st 7lb, he has already broken eight world records in his age and weight category.
This month the junior powerlifter from Coventry — who scoffs 3,000 calories a day, 50 per cent more than the NHS recommendation for boys his age — won the title of world’s strongest ten-year-old.
Ahead of the contest in the US — one of just three countries where under-12s can compete — his dad Ben, 40, shaved Rowan’s hair into a Mohawk and dyed it red.
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Rowan told The Sun: “I was worried I’d fail at the competition — but it felt amazing when I broke the records. I couldn’t stop screaming.
“My back squat was the hardest. You can see in the video that about halfway up I kind of stop and struggle before carrying on.”
‘I’ll break more records’
Rowan dreamed about being named the strongest ten-year-old for as long as he can remember.
To achieve the prestigious title he had to break the previous US records, some of which were set as long ago as 2004.
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He can deadlift 127.5kg, squat 100kg and bench press 57.5kg — bringing his total lifts to 385kg.
But there was one issue at the contest in Phoenix, Arizona — the audience wasn’t loud enough.
Rowan said: “Lots of screaming and noise helps me get into the right vibe to lift. I had to ask the announcer to make the audience scream louder.”
Rowan’s parents, who also have a two-year-old daughter, Hettie, remember him trying to train ever since he could walk, thanks to going to work with his dad, who helps rehabilitate victims with serious injuries.
Rowan would try to recreate moves his dad was doing with a client during the session.
Ben said: “I ran fitness events and Rowan would try to copy the workouts. From the age of three or four we realised he’d be a driven athlete. He wanted to be active, so we decided to help him train safely.”
Rowan took part in his first competition at just four.
He said: “Everything I was lifting was heavier than other people, so I knew I had to have been stronger.
“That made me want to start training more, and now I’m here.”
Rowan spends three evenings a week and every Saturday in the gym training for two hours.
This is on top of school five days a week, rugby training twice a week, learning guitar and drums and playing in the school band.
His pals doubted his strength at first but now think it’s hilarious to see how much he can lift.
Rowan adds: “I’ve managed to get three of them lifted for a piggy-back.”
He managed to lift me as well — and did it with ease.
To power his workouts, Rowan has a three-egg omelette with ham, cheese and peppers for breakfast.
His school packed lunch is usually a chicken sandwich, two pieces of fruit, crisps, chocolate plus a high-protein yoghurt.
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Dinner is two spicy chicken breasts, rice and mixed vegetables.
His parents alternate his protein between chicken, steak and fish.
Rowan began training in his dad’s gym and then in the homes of Ben’s clients, as it was hard to find public gyms that accept a child lifter.
But just over a year ago they found Barbell Training Complex in Warwick, where some of Britain’s strongest adults hone their skills.
Rowan often gets tips from Eliot “The Mutant” Page, the British powerlifting record holder, and Lewis Byng, Europe’s strongest under-23.
Rowan hopes to one day beat Eliot’s back squat of 420kg.
He said: “I’m going to beat him one day, maybe by the time I’m 17.”
A typical session training with his dad involves working on different movements and weight loads.
Each day is dedicated to a skill, so it rotates between bench press, barbell, squat then practising all three.
For his squat in the eight weeks up to Arizona, he moved his range from 77.5kg up to 100kg.
Trolls often accuse Ben and mum Gemma, 43, of pushing him too hard — but Ben, who has spent his career helping train kids, makes sure no damage is done to his son.
He said: “The way we’ve trained Rowan is to give him improved joint stability, improved spinal health, hormone regulation and so on.
“We wanted to help him train his energy for longevity and health, not necessarily performance.”
Rowan added: “People say I shouldn’t be lifting weights but it’s making my bones stronger.
“They claim it stunts my growth, but I’ve been to a doctor to confirm that it doesn’t.”
Powerlifting will soon take a back seat as Rowan works on trying to achieve his main goal — playing rugby for Leicester Tigers and England.
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But first he’d like to go back to America for more record-breaking feats when he turns 11.
Rowan said: “I’m confident I’ll break more records. I just need some extra help to finance getting there again.”
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