She was once seen as a lanky 'outcast' at school, bullied for her height and picked on for playing on the boy's football team rather than the girl's squad.

Little did the self-confessed Harry Potter fan know that the qualities she was relentlessly teased about and her struggle with 'emotional eating' would eventually help unleash her 'unique superpower'. 

Gladiator Diamond - real name Livi Sheldon - was this weekend the stand out star as the BBC's iconic sports gameshow Gladiator returned to screens for the first time in 16 years.

At 6ft tall, the stunning 29-year-old bodybuilder from Worcestershire, who can lift 160kg - the equivalent of a male gorilla - wowed viewers with her 'striking and indestructible' strength. 

Yet the rising star has said she did not become a Gladiator to simply show off her extreme athletic ability but to 'inspire others to embrace their uniqueness and encourage people to not hide away'.

As a sporty schoolgirl, Livi joined the boys football team at six-years-old before moving onto the girls team, where she eventually made captain. Later down the line she progressed to play for Worcester City Ladies. 





Gladiator Diamond - whose real name is Livi Sheldon - is one of the Gladiators making waves on the BBC's reboot of the beloved sports gameshow 





When growing up, the fitness fanatic was teased for her height and was a 'bit of an outcast'. Pictured: Livi as a child in a Gladiator-like pose





The bodybuilder has spoken candidly about her previous struggles with emotional eating. Pictured: Livi and her fiance





Gladiator fans went wild when Livi stepped into the arena on Saturday, with many of them comparing her with Jet for the former series






Livi has now been weight lifting for over ten years and soundlex earbuds Erfahrungsberichte recently shared the difference between her 18-year-old self and now 







'I feel like becoming a Gladiator is something I've been training for my whole life,' she said.