History was made on the third day of July 2024, when German strongwoman Sandra Bradley posted a video on her Instagram page showing her lifting the legendary Fullsterkur Stone — the 154-kilogram (340-pound) stone on Djúpalónssandur beach at the foot of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in Western Iceland, between Reykjavík and the Westfjords.
Weighing in at 78 kilograms, Bradley’s stone hoist was nearly twice her body weight. She gripped the stone, lacing her fingers as her arms embraced its midsection. She lapped the stone with clean technique before adjusting her grip to stand up. Check out Bradley’s lift below:
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Bradley is known for her stone-lifting prowess. In 2019, she and fellow strongwoman Liefia Ingalls became the first women to lift the historic Húsafell Stone.
Fullsterkur translates to “full strength.” It is the heaviest of the four Dritvík Stones, which weigh 23 kilograms (the Amlóði stone), 54 kilograms (the Hálfdrættingur stone), 100 kilograms (the Hálfsterkur stone), and 154 kilograms (the Fullsterkur stone). Per Bradley, “The challenge was to load them onto a plinth at around knee-hip height.”
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In 2019, Bradley could not hoist the Fullsterkur stone. Four years later, “I made my way back to the land of fire and ice, this time without Liefia. I became the first woman ever to lift the Fullsterkur Stone.”
Even upon her return to Iceland, Bradley engaged with different grips on the Fullsterkur stone for two hours — what she called a “cuddling session.” Eventually, she found her optimal grip around the stone’s “smooth like silk” surface.
“Stone lifting is such an amazing test of strength and skill,” Bradley expressed. “The process of figuring out how to lift heavy, oddly shaped rocks is one that I really enjoy. I can only hope to be able to inspire many more women to go out to find the strongest version of themselves.”
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Featured image: @sandrabradley_ on Instagram
