Is this Britain's strongest mother? Petite nursery worker - who can deadlift 21 st - set to compete in national weightlifting contest

• Becki Barrett, from Reading, started lifting weights two years ago
• Can now do 70 kg squats, lift a 35 kg log - and carry 14 st boyfriend
  
• Lifts 6 st sofa and 3 st child with one arm while hoovering with the other
  
• She is set to compete in final for England's Strongwoman Championships

By Deni Kirkova for MailOnline

Published: 09:02 EDT, 31 August 2014 | Updated: 10:52 EDT, 31 August 2014

A mother-of-one who hadn't touched a weight until two years ago is set to compete in a national weightlifting competition.

Petite Becki Barrett, 32, from Reading, certainly makes tough household chores look like light work as she lifts her six stone sofa with one arm to hoover underneath without breaking a sweat.

Her six-year-old daughter Kayla is even perched on top, adding a casual three stone to the load.

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Becki Barrett picks up the sofa with one hand - while daughter Kayle sits on it - as she hoovers underneath

During her weekly shopping trip, she singlehandedly carries all the bags - and Kayla - with staggering ease.

And the five foot tall nursery key worker even manages all the ironing with her daughter in one arm.

But Becki isn't your average mother, as when she's not looking after Kayla or at work she's spending time on her favourite hobby - weightlifting.

Incredibly, Becki can deadlift weights up to 21 stone. She can also raise an eight-stone log above her head.

She's so strong, she can carry her 14 stone boyfriend, Adam Hales, 34.

And she can pull the family's Volkswagen Polo - with both council enforcement officer Adam and Kayla inside.

Weightlifter Becki pulls her car with daughter Kayla and partner Adam inside

Petite Becki - who hadn't touched a weight until two years ago - can deadlift 21 stone

Now Becki is set to compete in final for England's Strongwoman Championships after qualifying in April this year.

And she is the only mother to compete in her class - the under 63 kilos.

Becki said: 'It's a shock to a lot of people that I'm so strong. I'm quite small so when I tell people I'm competing in England's Strongwoman Championship no-one really believes me.'

She added: 'I think a lot of people associate the competition with big, butch women. But I want to show that this isn't the case.

'I even do my nails, hair and make-up when I'm competing to show that you can still be feminine.'

The qualifier, held at the Centre for Functional Performance in Watford, involved an eye-watering set of strength tasks.

During her weekly shopping trip, she singlehandedly carries all the bags - and Kayla - with staggering ease

Becki was tested to her limit with 70 kg squats, lifting a 35 kg log, pulling a 100 kg metal sheet, and carrying a metal sheet with 100 kg  weights stacked on top.

She also had to carry 40 and 50 kg sandbags and barrels.

The secret to her strength is sheer commitment to training six days a week.

She and Adam, who competes in Strongman competitions, have converted their garage at home in to a makeshift gym, which is full of an array of heavy weights and Strongman equipment - including five stone logs and a 62 st tractor tyre.

She said: 'When we train together we tend to bicker a lot. Adam does tend to push me too hard but I think that's good in for me.'

Becki admits juggling training with family and work life can be hard.

She drops Kayla at school at 7.50am before heading to work. She finishes at 1.30pm - fitting in a 45 minute exercise regime before picking Kayla up again at 3.10.

And she still finds time to help Kayla with her homework and do all the chores.

She said: 'There aren't many mums who compete in Strongwoman.

'It can be really hard work juggling everything but I love my hobby so I don't mind.

'Thankfully Kayla is really interested in what I'm doing - she loves watching me train and coming to competitions.

'I ask her if she'd like to try it when she's older and she's adamant that she won't at the moment but she does like to have a go sometimes.

'I think I'm a positive role model for her - it's good to show her that anything is possible.'

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Becki has set her sights on taking home first prize in the Strongwoman final, due to be held in September this year.

She said: 'I had never thought about weightlifting.

'I kept fit and went to the gym but I'd stick to the running machines. I thought weights were for people who wanted to be big and muscly.

'It wasn't until I met Adam that I was introduced to it.

'He convinced me to have a go at weightlifting and we were both surprised by my strength.'

'If you'd told me I would be competing in strong woman three years ago, I would have laughed but this has given me a new outlook on life. It's shown me that the sky really is the limit.'

Becki with Adam and Kayla, who both support her weghtlifting hobby and competition dreams