Rob Kearney (strongman)
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 Kearney in 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nickname | World's Strongest Gay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 16, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | Joey Aleixo (2019-present)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | https://www.robkearneystrongman.com/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Strongman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Rob Kearney is a retired American professional strongman competitor.
Winner of 2017 Giants Live North American Open [3] and 2019 Arnold Australia,[1] he also qualified to the World's Strongest Man competition four times, and was invited to the Arnold Strongman Classic three times.[4]
Kearney is a two-time American log lift record holder, with a best lift of 476 lb (216 kg) in 2020.[5]
Kearney was part of the Cheerleading team in high school and started training in CrossFit. But he found that he was better at heavy lifting, and joined the powerlifting team at college.[6][7]
When he was 21, Kearney won 2013 North American Strongman National Championship, and turned professional. He was placed 2nd at 105 kg America's Strongest Man in 2014 and 2015.[8] He shared first place with Vidas Blekaitis at 2016 Log Lift World Championships with a lift of 446 lb (202 kg).[8] In 2019 Log Lift World Championships, he broke Robert Oberst's American national log lift record with a lift of 472 lb (214 kg) and extended it to 476 lb (216 kg) during World's Ultimate Strongman feats of strength series.[5]
Kearney first qualified for the World's Strongest Man competition in 2017 but was eliminated in the heats, but won 2017 Giants Live North American Open held in Martinsville, Indiana.[9] He also qualified for the 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2024 World's Strongest Man competitions,[10] but could excel into the finals in any of them.[11]
In 2019, Kearney won the Arnold Australia held in Melbourne, Australia.[12] He also qualified for the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2020, finishing in joint-6th place.[13] He also competed in 2022 and 2023, and achieved his best result with a 5th place finish in 2022. Kearney took part in the 2021 and 2022 Rogue Invitational, finishing in 6th and 8th place respectively.[14]
Despite only standing at 5 feet 10 inches and weighing under 300 lb (136 kg),[15] Kearney was award the title “Pound for Pound Strongest Man in the World” by Official Strongman Games in 2020.[16]
Personal records
- Deadlift (with suit and straps) – 970 lb (440 kg) (2019 World Deadlift Championships)
- Elephant bar Deadlift (Raw with straps) – 921 lb (418 kg) (2020 Arnold Strongman Classic)
- Double T Squat (with suit) – 961 lb (436 kg) (2022 Arnold Strongman Classic)
- Log press – 476 lb (216 kg) (2020 World's Ultimate Strongman - Feats of Strength series) (Former American Record)
- → Kearney has also done 480 lb (218 kg) during training.
- Axle press – 441 lb (200 kg) (2023 America's Strongest Man)
- Manhood Stone (Max Atlas Stone) – 525 lb (238 kg) over 4 ft bar (during training)
- Inver Stone press – 300 lb (136 kg) (2020 Arnold Strongman Classic) (Joint-World Record)
Other works
In 2022, Hachette Book Group published Strong, a children's picture book about Kearney's journey and identity.[17] The book was the result of a collaboration with author and LGBTQ+ activist Eric Rosswood.[18]
Kearney was a coach at HWPO Training where he was responsible for its strength training program.[19]
