Varya Akulova is one of those extraordinary human beings most people have never even heard of. Often referred to as “The World’s Strongest Girl”, Varya holds two Guinness records and is able to lift up to four times her own body weight.

Born in 1992, in the Ukrainian mining town of Krivoy Rog, Varya Akulova showed remarkable physical abilities from a very young age. When she was just one year old, Varya could do a handstand, at one and a half she did flips, at three years of age she started performing acrobatic routines with her parents, and by age four she was already doing powerlifting exercises with massive weights. When Varya’s mother, Larisa, became pregnant, her father, Yuri, started making plans about performing in the circus with his yet-unborn strong son, but when his wife gave birth to a girl, he knew his dreams would never materialize. But as the days went by, Yuri began to realize that with the right training, his daughter could become as strong as a man. The girl had stronger arms and legs than most babies her age, and soon he became certain Varya had inherited the Akulovs’ legendary strength. Historically, his ancestors served at the court of Catherine II and became known for their amazing abilities and toughness during the Russian – Turkish wars. And as the years passed, it became clear Varya was truly an Akulov, able to lift massive weights when other girls her age were busy playing with dolls.

Although Yuri’s training methods sparked concerns about Varya’s normal growth and bone development, the doctors who performed a series of tests when she was five years old found she was in great physical shape and had an increased immunity. At age six, the world’s strongest girl could carry her heavy father on her back while holding two kettlebells in her hands. She won several weightlifting competition and started making appearances around Ukraine. When she was 12, Varya Akulova could carry both her parents on her back and lift three heavy kettlebells at the same time. She set her first Guinness record in 2000, when she lifted 100 kilograms, although she weighed just 40, and in 2006 she managed to lift 300 kilograms, over four times her body weight.

You’d expect someone so strong to look more like a man than a woman, but Varya has retained her femininity and looks no different than any other fit 21-year-old girl. She doesn’t take any kind of supplements, and says her strength is just the result of daily hard work.

Sources: Wikipedia, Varya Akulova