Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

This Woman Just Lifted One Of The Heaviest Stones In The World

This Woman Just Lifted One Of The Heaviest Stones In The World
(bigdinnie/YouTube, @leigh.hollandkeen/Instagram)

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.


H/T - YouTube, Instagram, news.com, Barbend

More from Trending

Stephen King; Donald Trump
Mathew Tsang/Getty Images; Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Stephen King Just Said What We're All Thinking After Trump Admin Released First Batch Of UFO Files

Horror icon Stephen King said what is on everyone's mind after President Donald Trump's administration released the first batch of files related to UFO sightings.

Earlier this year, Trump issued an order to different agencies to "begin the process of identifying and releasing government files on aliens and extraterrestrial life."

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump Jr.; Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Don Jr.'s Old Tweet Praising His Father For Avoiding War With Iran Just Resurfaced—And It's Aged Like Milk

As President Donald Trump's war with Iran rages on, his son Donald Trump Jr. is facing criticism after an old tweet he wrote praising his father for avoiding war with Iran resurfaced.

Back in April 2024, the president's eldest son wrote the following on X:

Keep ReadingShow less
Images of Savannah and Nancy Guthrie
@savannahguthrie/Instagram

Savannah Guthrie Shares Heartfelt Video Of Her Missing Mom On Mother's Day: 'We Miss You With Every Breath'

Today co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, was declared missing on February 1, 2026, after she did not routinely arrive at church that morning, and a well-check confirmed that her home was empty and the door was left wide open.

Due to her need for multiple medications, including for her pacemaker, and her limited mobility, the Pima County Police Department deemed her case a high priority, soon welcoming the help of the FBI.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Robert Jeffress
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Fox News

Trump Backs Pastor's Claim That He Has A 'Better Understanding' Of The Bible Than Pope Leo—And People Are Furious

On Saturday, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump chose to promote an interview with controversial anti-LGBTQ+ Baptist minister Robert Jeffress by posting a clip from Fox News on Truth Social. In the interview, Jeffress repeatedly stroked Trump's ego, flattering him incessantly.

A Fox News contributor, Jeffress was on to talk about Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to the Vatican to give Pope Leo XIV a crystal football.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from viral videos show the tourist accused of targeting monk seal Lani (left) and a local confronting him afterward (right).
@nexta_tv/X; @brentonawa/Instagram

Tourist Gets Beaten Up By Hawaiian Local After Throwing Rock At Beloved Monk Seal In Viral Video

A tourist’s beach day in Hawaii reportedly ended with a brutal dose of instant consequences after a video captured him throwing a rock at a beloved monk seal named Lani.

Viral footage shows the endangered animal swimming calmly near Front Street in Lahaina before the 37-year-old Seattle man allegedly hurled a large rock dangerously close to the seal, sending it darting away from the splash and triggering immediate outrage online.

Keep ReadingShow less