Roy Van Ulft's 175 pound bench press makes her the strongest seven-year-old in the world
Ottawa, Canada - Don't let the fact that Rory Van Ulft is only seven years old and a few feet high fool you: She is the strongest girl in the world, and can bench lift 175 pounds.
Rory Van Ulft's bench press journey began in her hometown, the Canadian capital of Ottawa. She started weightlifting just after her fifth birthday, after she was scouted at a gymnastics class, the Daily Mail reported.
Rory was recently announced as the US Youth National Champion in weightlifting in the under-11 and under-13 classes, making her the youngest American winner ever.
"It would be fair to say Rory is the strongest little girl in the world," her father Cavan said.
Who is the strongest girl in the world?
Rory Van Ulft's bench press makes her the strongest girl in the world. When squatting, she lifts up to 132 pounds. When cross-lifting, she deadlifts a whopping 175 pounds.
Despite being dubbed the strongest girl ever, the young Canadian sees herself more as a gymnast than a weightlifter. She devotes four hours a week to weight training and nine hours a week to gymnastics.
"I prefer gymnastics to weightlifting, because in gymnastics I don't have to lift anything over my head," she apparently told her parents after she won her first gymnastics medal.
Nevertheless, the 7-year-old enjoys her age-unusual hobby: "I like getting stronger. Being stronger lets me do more and get better at everything I try."
Bench pressing seven-year-old Rory Van Ulft lifts like a legend
Rory apparently has a soft spot for tattoos and wears temporary ink for her shows: "I wear tattoos because I like them, I think they're cool," she said.
Cavan van Ulft, her father, supports his daughter in every aspect, but does he ever worry about her safety? Well, no, he seems confident when it comes to his daughter's skills.
"Her safety is everyone's top priority. She progresses in her training for both sports carefully and methodically," he explained.
Rory Van Ulft's bench press skill not her only talent
Despite being a full-time athlete, she does well in school. Her parents explain that "she is very intelligent and is able to really focus and interpret direction."
Her dedication and intelligence is what makes her so "coachable" at such a young age, they continued.
The ambitious girl also has a strong community on Instagram, with about 161,000 people following her account.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@roryvanulft