Trailblazer Rob Kearney made headlines around the globe when he came out as the world’s first openly gay professional strongman. An Arnold International World Series Champion in 2019, a Giants Live Champion and the winner of the 2016 Log Lift World Championships, he has also competed at Worlds Strongest Man and numerous other international competitions. Kearney has become a leading advocate for LGBTQ+ rights along with his husband Joey, and together they are helping to break stereotypes of how the LGBTQ+ community is perceived.
Although Kearney was initially surprised by the attention he received when he first came out, he took it all in his stride and he now enjoys shedding light on the topic as an in-demand keynote speaker. In 2020 his appearance as a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast racked up over 1.4 million views in just two months.
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Kearney was an un-athletic high school child who worked his way up through amateur strongmen competitions and overcame many obstacles to become one of the Worlds Strongest Men. He made his debut at The Worlds Strongest Man competition in 2017 and has been victorious in numerous strong men competitions including the Arnold Pro Strongman Australia.
Kearney loves to travel the world as both a competitor and a speaker, sharing his story to both children and adults and showing them that anyone can become the person they have always wanted to be.