First Openly Gay Pro Strongman Wins Competition, Marries Boyfriend

One of the strongest men in the world just married his boyfriend, proving that you can be badass af and adorable at the same time.

Rob Kearney won first place at the Arnold Strongman Pro in Australia this weekend, a qualifying event that vets competitors for a World Championship in 2020.

On Sunday, he took that winning spirit to the next level and married his boyfriend of several years, Joey Aleixo.

“To call this man my husband is a dream come true and he is and always will be my soulmate,” Kearney said on Instagram.

Aleixo shared an equally sweet photo of the two of them on their special day, with the caption “[Kearney] will always have my heart and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us.”

Both men’s Instagram accounts are filled with photos of their shared life together, and it’s wonderful to see them able to be so open about their relationship.

Kearney came out publicly in 2014, when he held the title of the world’s second strongest man.

“My #mcm goes to this guy, my boyfriend, Joey Aleixo!” he posted to Facebook that November.

The two had only been together for two months when Kearney made the announcement, and he spoke of how that relationship made him want to shout from the rooftops and come out to the world.

“I have been contacted by numerous World’s Strongest Man competitors expressing their support for me,” he had said at the time. “I hope people realize that being gay doesn’t change the athlete/person I am…This is the happiest I have ever been.”

That feeling seems to have lasted, and hopefully will carry on into the life Kearney and Aleixo can now continuing building together.