More Than a Club
Who We Are
Iron Raven is an independent gym in Tonbridge, Kent, founded by world champion powerlifters Jason Swalwell and Helen Redhead. We built it around the barbell and opened it to everyone: free weights, machines, cardio and coaching, on one membership.
Jason’s recorded results include the 2023 WPC Masters 3 125kg full-power world title. Helen’s recorded results include the 2023 WPC Masters 1 90kg full-power world title.
Members come from Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Maidstone. Some want to get fitter, some are learning to lift, and some compete. One membership covers the whole building.
Our Vision
We believe that strength training is for everyone — whether you're aiming for your next competition PB or just beginning your journey to feeling stronger and more confident. Iron Raven is more than a gym; it's a community where you'll find support, expert coaching, and a welcoming environment that celebrates progress at every level.
Our vision is to create a home for strength athletes in Kent: a place where powerlifters, strength enthusiasts, and newcomers alike can train, learn, and grow together. We're here to break down barriers, make serious lifting accessible, and demonstrate the physical and mental benefits of strength training to our community.
At Iron Raven, we draw inspiration from Stoic philosophy — embracing resilience, focus, and the pursuit of progress one day at a time. True strength is not just about lifting weights, but about building character and mastering challenges, both inside and outside the gym.
Our Coaching Approach
As competitive powerlifters, we know how to coach the lifts properly, and that works just as well for someone learning to squat for the first time as for someone preparing for a meet. We coach two ways: 1-to-1 coaching for general strength and confidence, and powerlifting coaching for the platform: commands, standards, attempt selection, meet day.
That work sits inside The Iron Raven Method: Assess, Build, Sharpen, Peak, Prove. We don’t hand out templates and we don’t guess. Whether you’re stepping onto a platform or just getting stronger, the first two phases are the same.
