He was an integral part of Wales’ backroom team for years and also worked under Warren Gatland on three Lions tours
The former Wales coach looks unrecognisable after dropping 30kg
Former Wales rugby fitness coach Paul Stridgeon looks unrecognisable after undergoing an incredible body transformation.
The 45-year-old was an integral part of Wales’ backroom team for eight years, helping them to a Six Nations Grand Slam win in 2019 before departing the international set-up four years later. He also worked under Warren Gatland on three British & Irish Lions tours and has held strength and conditioning roles with Wasps, England, Toulon and Racing 92.
However, despite establishing himself as one of the most highly-respected strength and conditioning coaches in world rugby, Stridgeon’s struggles with his weight and health have now been revealed.
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In a social media post, his wife Hanlie, an elite sport physiotherapist, revealed that the coach – who is also a former Commonwealth Games freestyle wrestler – had “lost his why” since retiring from competing, causing his weight to increase.
He reached his heaviest point before travelling to the 2019 Rugby World Cup with Wales, weighing in at 95kg (15st) and requiring blood pressure medication.
But now, Hanlie says her husband is 30kg (4st 10lb) lighter and off the medication, having committed to losing weight to “give himself the best chance to live a long, happy life full of adventures”.
Sharing before and after photos in a post on her Instagram page, Hanlie wrote: “This is my amazing husband Bobby and I wanted to show you what consistent healthy habits can give you.
“Bobby was a freestyle wrestler competing at 60kg at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 for England. Once he stopped competing, he basically stopped training altogether and didn’t really care what he ate… he lost his why.
“This obviously had a really bad effect on his health. He weighed 95kg at his heaviest just before the Rugby World Cup in 2019, and ended up needing blood pressure medication in 2023. In 2023 he made some changes but we weren’t consistent.”
She added: “For the last 6 months we have been really consistent with exercise and healthy eating. This morning, he woke up early (unplanned) and did a half marathon just cause he felt like it .
The cardiologist has taken him off the blood pressure meds. And he’s never felt better He’s changed his life. Not just because he wanted to lose weight, but because he wanted to give himself the best chance to live a long, happy life full of adventures.
“He doesn’t feel tired, and stressed any more. He wakes up fresh every day. He could not be a more unlikely person to love going to the gym and eating veg… if you know him you know this! But here he is.”
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