Staunton woman dubbed 7th strongest woman in the world

STAUNTON Va. (WHSV) – One athlete in Staunton is proving strength knows no limits. After competing among the world’s strongest, Monica Quarles has returned home with a place on the global stage. By day, she’s a school counselor, but she’s also the seventh strongest woman in the world.

Quarles just returned from the Official Strongman Games in Wisconsin with her new title and a sense of unbound confidence. The 7th place win was an improvement from last year’s ninth place.

Quarles began her journey in 2017 after her mother got sick. She said it was a “wake up call” to take better care of herself. She said she’s proud of the progress she’s made in her seven years of the sport.

“It has really built my confidence over the years to really be able to just love my body and what it can do,” Quarles said. “It’s really easy to get fixed on things like, ‘Oh, you know, I wanna change my stomach,’ but when I take a step back and I see all the incredible things my body has been able to do over the past seven and a half years, it makes it worth it,” Quarles said.

Some of Quarles’ highlights include:

• 1 rep on a 205lb log
• 2nd place in the 700lb car yoke
• Loaded five 200lb+ stones in 56 seconds
• Deadlifted 550lbs for 2 reps
• Held a 500lb wrecking ball for a minute and 36 seconds

Competitors are not tested for steroids. Their use in the sport isn’t taboo, but Quarles opts out, which can sometimes cause her to compare herself to those around her. That comparison is the hardest part for Quarles, she said, but she likes to reminds herself it’s “the thief of joy.”

She said women don’t have much representation in strength athletics, especially women of color. For anyone who wants to try, she encourages them to do it for yourself and without worry.

“You are allowed to take up space,” Quarles said. “I just want other girls and women just to know that you can do this as well it doesn’t matter your size you can be all the way like 140 pounds all way to 300 and something pounds and you could still do this.”

Copyright 2024 WHSV. All rights reserved.