Leigh Holland-Keen accomplished a major feat that was worthy of raise.
The 29-year-old Australian became the first woman in 40 years to lift the famed Dinnie Stones of Scotland in front of hundreds of spectators in Potarch, Aberdeenshire.
Watch the record-breaking feat below.
Holland-Keen Ardblair, a nurse from New South Wales, Australia, trained for a year to compete in the qualifying competition known as the Ardblair Stones at Donald Dinnie Day, The Gathering II, on August 5.
The athlete told news.com.au about her first time trying to lift the stone last year.
Last year was the first time I actually had a go at it. It wasn't planned — I traveled over from Australia to Scotland with my stepdad and mum, who also lift, and was given an opportunity to do it.
She wasn't able to lift the Dinnies at the time but realized that the possibility was within reach if she dedicated time for the stones-specific training.
I was very close to getting them a good lift, so after that I thought, 'Maybe I can actually do this if I put in some work.'
My sporting career is in strongwoman, that's my background, so I have been constantly training for that. But over the past 6-7 months I mainly focused on deadlifts, trap bar, and deadlift holds.
Most strongmen are unable to raise the granite boulders.
Barbend explained just how heavy the massive stones weigh.
The Dinnie Stones are two stones with metal handles that have a cumulative weight of 332.5kg (733 lbs). Individually, the smaller stone weighs 146kg (322 lbs), and the larger comes in at a massive 188kg (414 lbs).
Only 90 men have been able to raise the Dinnie Stones since their discovery in 1953. According to Barbend, only five strongmen have been able to keep the stones suspended above ground for 30 seconds.
In 1979, Jan Todd became the first female to lift the Dinnie Stones and held that record until now.
The stones were named after a man named, Donald Dinnie, an athlete who managed to lift and carry the stone across a bridge in Potarch during the 1800s.
But Holland-Keen said that the challenge wasn't exclusively a physical one.
It's mental. Obviously there's a lot of training, but you do a lot of visualization on the day. It made me realize how much mental strength it takes to do it by watching these big guys — who I knew could lift it easily — and they were failing because they weren't there mentally.
Twitter summed up her record-breaking win perfectly.
Three out of the four International Highland Games Federation (IHGF) Scottish Stones of Strength qualifying competitions took place in Scotland over the past two months. The stone lifting finals will take place on September 2 at the Blairgowrie and Rattray Highland Games.
Until then, there is one more qualifying round left to go, and that will take place this weekend at the Ardblair Stones at Blairgowrie Rugby & Ale Festival 2018.
