Home

Olympics

Strongest Teenage Girl Who Bench-Pressed 330 Pounds at 15 Was Afraid to Come to America in 2015: “Thought People Would Dislike Me or Avoid Me”

Published 11/22/2022, 8:45 AM EST

Follow Us

Maryana Naumova was once the strongest girl in the world. Specializing in the bench press, Maryana is a powerlifter from Russia. She holds over 15 world records in the age category that she competed in. She was given the nickname “the princess of barbell.”

Born in April 1999, Naumova rose to fame when she was just a teenager. Owing to her success in her field, she holds the title of Master of Sport of Russia, International class. Maryana was the first under-18 female to be allowed to participate in a powerlifting competition.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

What was Maryana Naumova afraid of?

Well, as they say, even the strongest souls are afraid of something. However, “the princess of the barbell” wasn’t afraid of flipping a man twice her size or lifting weights three times her own. Surprisingly, what she was afraid of was the people of America.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest Olympics stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Maryana is someone who loves to travel and has never shied away from meeting new people. She is an influencer with more than 50 thousand followers on Instagram. She keeps them updated with her travels and geographical boundaries have never limited her. However, in an exclusive interview with NBC News in 2015, she revealed what she feared the most at one point in her life.

“Still Can’t Bite Properly”: UFC Legend Is Struggling To Recover From the World’s Scariest Man’s Punch

Maryana shared that when traveling to America, she was afraid people will detest her because of her nationality. However, luckily for the young champion, nothing of that sort happened to her. She told NBC News, “When going to America, I thought people will dislike me or avoid me. But it was nothing like that, people were coming over all the time, saying: ‘You from Russia? Cool!”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Journey of the world’s strongest girl

Maryana began lifting weights at the tender age of ten. At 13, weighing only 130lbs, she used to bench-press 240lbs. At 15, she participated in the Arnold Classic tournament in 2015, wherein she bench-pressed 330 lbs. This, in turn, earned her not only the winning title and a world record but also a hug from her idol, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

However, powerlifting isn’t all there is to this bodybuilding protégé. The sport is just a part of her life. She is also a member of the youth arm of Russia’s Communist Party- the Komsomol. As a member of the party, she often tours schools and orphanages across Russia to promote weightlifting.

Watch Story: Arnold Schwarzenegger vs Andre The Giant: Who Is Stronger?

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Aaradhana Singh

630Articles

One take at a time

Aaradhana Singh is a US Sports writer for EssentiallySports. The holder of a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication, Aaradhana has previously worked as an editor/writer with Asiana Times for the better part of a year. A sports person at heart with a curious mind, Aaradhana is someone who is always up for fun and adventure.
Show More>

Edited by:

Pritam Priyedarshi