Woman battles depression with a mission to become the UK’s strongest woman

Gemma served in the Army for nine years
Gemma Ferguson served in the Army for nine years (Picture: MDWfeatures / Gemma Ferguson)

When Gemma Ferguson, 34, left the Army after nine years of service, she quickly fell into a spiral of depression and anxiety.

But her life was saved by a new goal: to become the UK’s strongest woman.

Gemma, an Openreach engineer, served in The Royal Corps of Signals as a communications system specialist for nine years and was posted to Germany, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.

In October 2012 she decided to leave the military and in the years that followed she struggled to adjust to life outside the Army.

Gemma, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, was able to get a job and a flat in High Wycombe, but didn’t have friends in the area and found it difficult to find common ground with new people.

Gemma ferguson while serving in the army for nine years
When she left on a whim she fell into depression and anxiety (Picture: MDWfeatures / Gemma Ferguson)

While working at a pub at the weekends in an attempt to socialise, she began to drink heavily and take drugs.

By 2015 Gemma was diagnosed with depression, had lost her job, and had to move back in with her parents. She felt awful mentally and physically – her heavy drinking had made her gain weight.

It was Gemma’s mum Jacqui who realised that training in the gym could give her a sense of purpose.

Jacqui helped Gemma to get involved with PTSD Resolution, a charity that specialises in mental health for veterans and their families, to provide support and tackle her mental illness head on.

Gemma after she left the Army (left) and now (right)
When she moved back home she put on weight thanks to heavy drinking (Picture: MDWfeatures / Gemma Ferguson)
After leaving the army, Gemma found it difficult to adjust to civilian life and started drinking heavily that saw her gain weight, before (left) and after (right)
Fitness and strength gave Gemma a new purpose (Picture: MDWfeatures / Gemma Ferguson)

Slowly Gemma began to train. In 2016 she was in the gym when she was spotted by a personal trainer, who suggested she should try strongman training and encouraged to enter a local competition four weeks later. Gemma competed, placed second, and fell in love with the strength-focused approach to physical fitness.

That sparked the idea for a personal mission: Gemma set herself the goal of becoming the UK’s strongest woman.

Since then she has competed in World’s Strongest Woman in America, won England’s Strongest Under 82kg Woman, and came third in Britain’s Strongest Woman.

She hopes that she can show everyone it’s possible to pull yourself out of your lowest moment and turn your life around.

Gemma is currently in training for The IFBB Arnold Sports Festival which takes place in Ohio, USA, in March next year
She began doing strongman training and soon won the title of England’s Strongest Under 82kg Woman (Picture: MDWfeatures / Gemma Ferguson)
Gemma is now able to lift cars
Gemma now loves her body (Picture: MDWfeatures / Gemma Ferguson)

Gemma says: ‘Winning England’s Strongest Woman was the proudest moment of my life to date apart from joining the military.

‘The journey I had been on to get there, I lost five stone, I found myself again after being lost for a long time. I had a purpose and I like myself again – something I hadn’t had for many years even while serving in the army.

‘I have my coach Simon Yates to thank, he saw potential, he believed in me and supported me the whole way. I cried the day I won.’

Gemma now trains five days a week and makes sure to eat plenty of protein and carbs to give her body the fuel it needs.

Gemma has lost five stone since discovering strongman
She hopes her story shows everyone that its possible to escape your lowest lows (Picture: MDWfeatures / Gemma Ferguson)

She can lift cars, pull along double-decker buses, life logs weighing 82.5kg, atlas stones of 110kg, deadlift 195kg, and squat with 175kg weights. That’s impressive in itself, but Gemma has no plans to stop pushing herself.

‘I love how I look, it’s not for everyone but I like it and I’m so proud of what my body can do,’ says Gemma.

‘Not many people can say their body lifts up cars or pulls double-decker buses.

 Gemma trains five days a week. THIS BRITISH woman was consumed by depression when she left the Army after serving for NINE YEARS, until a quest to become the UK?S STRONGEST WOMAN saved her life. Openreach engineer, Gemma Ferguson (34) from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, UK, served in The Royal Corps of Signals as a communications system specialist for nine years and was posted to Germany, Northern Ireland and went on operational tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. In October 2012 Gemma decided to leave the military on impulse as she was struggling to cope but didn?t know until two years later that she was actually suffering with anxiety and depression at the time. Gemma found the initial transition to civilian life bearable and managed to secure a job as a security specialist and a flat close to her work in High Wycombe. Without any friends in her new area, Gemma felt alone and started to struggle with life outside of the Army as she found she didn?t have much common ground with people. Desperate to make friends and to feel like she belonged, Gemma started working at a pub at the weekends to socialise and started to force herself to fit in by drinking heavily and taking drugs with the people she hung out with. Gemma was diagnosed with depression in early 2015 which lead to her losing her job as she didn?t tell her employer what she was going through. Shortly after she had to give up her flat and move back home with her parents in autumn 2015. Drinking heavily meant that she had gained weight and weighed 17st 2lb and seeing how unhappy she was Gemma?s mum, Jacquie encouraged her to get back to training at the gym and helped her to get help from a charity called PTSD Resolution which specialises in mental health for veterans and their families. Gemma started training again in 2016 and was spotted by a personal trainer who suggested she should try the sport strongman and encouraged her to enter a local competition four weeks later. Having never he
I’m so proud of what my body can do,’ she says (Picture: MDWfeatures / Gemma Ferguson)

‘When I left the military I never thought I’d be where I am today and that makes me incredibly proud that I have done all of this and that I have turned it all around.

‘I honestly believe if I hadn’t moved back to Sussex with my family that day that I wouldn’t be here to say this.

‘I want to show others not just ex-military, anyone, that it can be done, you can turn your life around, but you have to want to.

‘It takes time, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Consistency and hard work is the key to everything.’

Do you have an amazing personal fitness journey you’d like to share? Get in touch and tell us more by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/14/woman-battles-depression-mission-become-uks-strongest-woman-11907064/
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