Over the weekend, over 400 of the top Strongman and Strongwoman athletes traveled to Arlington, Texas, for the 2025 Official Strongman Games. While Josh Patacca won the men’s division, all of the focus and controversy is centered around the women’s division. That is because Jammie Booker was crowned the “World’s Strongest Woman”.
Booker was born male, but now competes as a transgender athlete.
[Update: Official Strongman Games have announced that Booker has been disqualified. Read the full story here.]
Booker stood atop the podium while Andrea Thompson finished second on the podium. But during the award ceremony, Thompson walked off the podium where it appears she said, “this is bullshit”.
According to Rebecca Roberts, a 3-time World Strongest Woman, no one knew of Booker’s background, including the event organizers. Apparently this is only Booker’s third time competing.
On Monday, Roberts took to social media where she posted an image that read, “Protect Women’s Sports”. In the caption, she added, “I hold no hate toward transgender people. Everyone deserves dignity, respect, and the freedom to live their truth. But I cannot stay silent about something that threatens the fairness and future of women’s strength sports.”
Roberts continued, “Transgender women, people born male, should not be competing in the women’s category.” Roberts concluded her post by congratulating Andrea Thompson, who Roberts believes is the “true World’s Strongest Woman”.
As for Booker, it does appear that Booker did publish a video on YouTube in 2017. “Every is dying to tell their own story and I am obviously no exception to that,” Booker claims, adding, “I’m a 21 year-old trans woman with a history of abuse, struggling to stay true to herself while under the rule of her religious parents.”
Booker also took to social media on Monday, expressing gratitude for those who supported Booker throughout the journey.
And, of course, what would a controversy be without Mitchell Hooper weighing in. Hooper, like Roberts, believes that Andrea Thompson is the true champion over the weekend.
On top of that, Wikipedia currently shows that Andrea Thompson as the winner of the 2025 Official Strongman Games.
According to Hooper, he said that he expects organizers to Official Strongman Games to make an official statement soon. Stay tuned…
