Hafthor Julius Bjornsson is an Icelandic strongman and actor. He gained global recognition when he played the role of Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Bjornsson made history when he became the first person to win Europe’s Strongest Man, World’s Strongest Man, and Arnold Strongman Classic in the same year.
Bjornsson was a basketball player, but a persistent ankle injury hampered his progress on the court. He quit in 2008 and started his strongman career. Hafthor has numerous regional and global strongman titles to his name. The hulk of a man has also found love, and he is married to Kelsey Henson. This piece will look at Kelsey and Hafthor’s relationship and what the future holds for the couple.
Kelsey and Hafthor met at a restaurant in Alberta, Canada
Kelsey Henson was born on 5th March 1990 in Alberta, Canada. Henson studied Occupational Health and Safety at the University of Alberta. After graduation, Kelsey worked as a waitress and as a construction safety officer.
Hafthor and Kelsey met after he visited Kelsey’s restaurant during a Strongman competition. Kelsey recognized Hafthor from Game of Thrones, and she asked him for a picture. The pair has been together since that September 2017 meeting at Earls Kitchen & Bar.
The couple hit it off despite their vast size difference. Bjornsson is 6’9’’ inches and 200 kg while Kelsey is 5’2’’ and 53 kg. In December 2017, an Instagram fan posted a comment on one of the couple’s photos asking how the couple kissed given their size difference. Kelsey responded by saying, “ahha he bends, I tip toe. Or just say screw it, pick me up!”
After their meeting, Kelsey left her waitress job in Alberta and followed Hafthor into bodybuilding.
The couple got married in 2018, and they run a gym together
Kelsey and Hafthor announced that they had tied the knot via Instagram photos posted on 20th October 2018. According to their anniversary posts on Instagram, the couple got married on 24th August 2018. Kelsey posted a photo of the couple on 25th August 2019 and added the caption:
“Thank you for all of the adventures, the ups and downs, learning experiences and curves. Thank you for pushing me and motivating me to be my best. Thank you for showing me the meaning of true love and all it encapsulates. I’m so excited to see what the future holds for us! Time truly does fly when your having fun!”
Kelsey and the reigning Arnold Strongman Classic champion run a gym called Thor’s Power Gym. The couple regularly posts their workouts on Instagram. Kelsey currently has 447K followers on her Instagram page, and she is building a reputation for being a fitness expert.
Kelsey and Hafthor welcomed the first child on 26th September 2020
In late September 2020, Kelsey and Hafthor announced that they’d welcomed a baby boy on 26th September 2020. Hafthor gave a detailed description of the boy’s birth, from Kelsey’s water breaking to labor starting, and finally, the baby arriving healthy at 11:19 a.m. Hafthor praised Kelsey for her bravery throughout the process:
“Things escalated super quickly. Throughout it all she did amazing. She was in complete control of her mind and body. She had strong opinions on exactly what she wanted and where she wanted to be. I am completely in awe of how strong she is, and so proud of her for everything she did to prepare herself throughout her pregnancy. It cannot be put into words how proud I am and how I feel about this experience.”
In her post, Kelsey described the birth as ‘the most powerful, life-changing, empowering thing’ she’s ever done. Hafthor promised that the couple would share the baby’s name, but they are yet to do so. You can follow the boy’s progress on the couple’s Instagram pages, and a page created by Kelsey dedicated to detailing her life as a mom.
The page, @uncensoredmommy, has the following description: “All things pregnancy, baby and family.” Through the page, we know that there are some things she’s had to give up because of her baby, including long bubble baths. On 7th April 2021, she posted a photo of herself bathing her child alongside the following caption:
“Here’s what my bath time looks like these days. Alone time? In the bathroom? HA. Don’t make me laugh. In all honesty, I love bath nights with my baby. He loves the water and so does my cat. Do I miss my long indulgent bubble baths? You bet I do. Would I change anything? Never. (However, I am looking forward to my first indulgent bubble bath post baby, lol.)
Kelsey and Hafthor announced that they would be adding to their family via a gender reveal video they posted on Instagram. In the video, Hafthor burst a black balloon held by Kelsey, and blue confetti came flying out. Hafthor seemed pretty excited at the prospect of welcoming a baby boy. It will be Hafthor’s second child, but his first with Kelsey. He has a daughter, Theresa Lif, with ex-girlfriend Thelma Stiemann.