From Bullying to Strongwoman: How Rhiannon Cooper Found Strength at 34

Rhiannon Cooper turned 30 and realized she had spent her life avoiding exercise. She wore a size 26 and felt deeply uncomfortable around fitness environments. Years of school bullying left her terrified of gyms and physical activity. Four years later, the 34-year-old now trains five times a week. She competes in strongwoman events and runs her own personal training business. Her journey has ignited a heated debate about obesity, fitness, and public health. Rhiannon states that her goal was never weight loss alone. She sought strength, better health, and improved heart and lung function instead. Her business, Not So Typical Fitness, serves clients intimidated by gym culture. Growing up overweight shaped her negative relationship with physical exercise. School bullies called her names and teased her for her size. She skipped classes to avoid cross-country runs and PE classes. Teammates always picked her last because she slowed them down. Rhiannon originally hails from Malvern in Worcestershire but now lives in Wolverhampton. She joined a gym in 2022 to improve her fitness. She prepared to deliver a TEDx talk on gym belonging. Adult Rhiannon feared becoming visibly out of breath or sweaty in public. She searched online for health advice and tried to lose weight. Adjusting to gym life proved extremely difficult for her. She felt self-conscious about being the largest person in the facility. She stuck to incline treadmill walks due to intense anxiety. After cardio sessions, others asked if she felt good. She replied that she felt disgusting instead of energized. Around the same time, she received diagnoses for autism and ADHD.

Rhiannon eventually understood that her previous avoidance of exercise stemmed not from laziness, but from sensory overload caused by breathlessness, heat, and sweat. With the guidance of a personal trainer, she began weight training and gradually developed a genuine passion for lifting. Over an 18-month span, she shed approximately seven stone while simultaneously boosting her strength and gym performance. However, her perspective shifted when conversations about her progress centered too heavily on weight loss rather than overall health. "That was the moment that I decided the fitness industry needs to change," she states. She reached a breaking point where she nearly quit the industry entirely and stopped wanting to return to the gym.

Instead of fixating on the scales, Rhiannon pivoted her focus toward consistency, strength, and enjoyment. In December 2024, she earned her personal trainer certification and started working with clients who often felt alienated from traditional fitness environments. Many of these individuals first contacted her through social media, where she openly discusses gym anxiety, body image, and neurodivergence. "The goal was never about losing weight for me – it was about getting stronger and healthier," Rhiannon says, pictured during a training session. She firmly believes one can be both large and fit, a stance she is prepared to defend.

Rhiannon notes that her clients are typically people who have previously felt uncomfortable or unwelcome at gyms. Some had worked with trainers who made them feel ashamed of their bodies. "Around half of them have had a personal trainer before and were made to feel like their body was something that needed to be fixed," she explains. "It was like punishment for them." Building her business initially proved difficult, partly because many of her target audience were not regular gym-goers. "I probably gained maybe two clients a month on average," she recalls. "It took around eight months to make a profit." Today, her schedule is full, offering both in-person and online sessions designed to help beginners feel comfortable exercising.

Rhiannon attributes much of her success to the fact that she does not fit the stereotypical trainer image and speaks candidly about anxiety and neurodivergence. "The biggest thing people say is that they feel safe with me," she explains. Her most rewarding moments occur when clients who were once terrified walk into the weights area alone and quietly follow a program they previously believed was "not for people like them." However, her rising online profile has also drawn criticism. "People will say things like: 'How can you teach people about fitness when you look like that?' she says. "People have accused me of faking my qualification, I've been called a scam artist, a fraud, and that I'm there to tick the diversity box."

Earlier this year, Rhiannon appeared in a viral YouTube video by fitness creator Joe Fazer titled "I Hired A Fat Personal Trainer," which ignited an online debate regarding whether a trainer's appearance impacts their credibility. While some viewers praised her for helping individuals who might otherwise avoid exercise entirely, others questioned whether someone visibly overweight could represent health and fitness. Her story emerges alongside ongoing research debates concerning obesity, fitness, and long-term health outcomes. Evidence indicates that regular exercise and improved cardiovascular fitness benefit health regardless of weight loss.

Despite the visible changes in body composition, obesity continues to correlate with elevated long-term risks for serious conditions such as heart disease, fatty liver disease, and type 2 diabetes. A recent investigation led by researchers at Imperial College London confirms that even obese adults who appear to have no obvious metabolic issues still face significantly higher probabilities of developing heart, liver, and kidney disease compared to individuals of a healthy weight.

This clinical reality underscores a critical debate in medical science: the Body Mass Index (BMI) may not fully capture an individual's health status because it fails to distinguish between muscle mass and fat distribution. While these physiological risks remain a concern, personal narratives suggest that physical activity can fundamentally alter how individuals perceive their own health and capability.

For Rhiannon, the transformation has been profound, extending far beyond the scale. "For the first time ever, I love my body," she states. "It's not because of my weight, but from my strength - literally, the strength I have to lift weights in the gym. That makes me feel so powerful and strong." Currently preparing for her next weightlifting competition, Rhiannon recently entered her first strongwoman event, where she deadlifted 100kg for 14 repetitions in 60 seconds and completed Atlas stone lifts in under 22 seconds.

Her journey now includes a TEDx talk scheduled in Wolverhampton, where she plans to address the concept of "stopping shrinking" both physically and emotionally. She emphasizes that a primary barrier to fitness is the feeling of unwelcome in gym environments. "So many people don't come to a gym or move their body because they don't feel welcome in a space like a gym," she explains. "I want people to realise they deserve to be there too."

To help nervous beginners overcome this fear, Rhiannon advises making the initial gym visits "fail-safe." "You need to make them a success," she asserts. She suggests that a first visit could simply involve entering the facility, using the restroom, and leaving, with the primary goal of ensuring the experience feels positive. She recommends starting with small increments, such as five or ten minutes on a treadmill, and gradually building confidence rather than immediately engaging in intense programs that might cause excessive soreness and discourage return visits.

"Slow and steady is the best way," she warns, noting that destroying muscles and becoming overly sore can lead to permanent disengagement. Four years after initially stepping into a gym feeling anxious and out of place, Rhiannon now trains regularly for strongwoman competitions while mentoring beginners who share her past anxieties. "I know what it feels like to think you don't belong there," she says. "If I can help even one person feel comfortable enough to walk into a gym without fear or shame, that means everything to me.