Woman told she was 'too weak' to be a firefighter proves all her critics wrong

There's no denying the fact that there are still jobs and careers which are either heavily male-dominated or heavily female-dominated.

And if you happen to be in the minority of men or women in your particular line of work, you may have felt that your ability to do the job - and to do it well - was called into question simply because of your gender.

Well, one female firefighter knows all too well what that's like and has revealed how she has about how she managed to prove her critics wrong - and all by excelling at a job she was told she was too "weak" for, the Daily Star reports.

Presley Pritchard was only 16 when she started pursuing a career as a firefighter. And when she had her first child at 18, she continued with her training. It was on her 19th birthday that the young mom finally became a fully qualified paramedic.

Of course, there's no detracting from the fact that the firefighting profession is heavily reliant on strength, stamina, and endurance. Unfortunately, Pritchard had lost some of the muscle she had before becoming a mother.

A lot of this was due to the fact she was on bed-rest following her two difficult pregnancies.

So when Pritchard started began work as a firefighter, she was noticeably more petite than the rest of her team - leading some to doubt whether she was fit for the job.

But the now-24-year-old worked hard to regain her strength at the gym and is now able to deadlift 303lbs and carry the same firemen who doubted her out of buildings at work.

Unlike when she first started, she no longer fears her male colleagues will be resentful about the prospect of paired with her at work.

Now that Pritchard has gained respect from her peers, she is hoping to encourage other young women to go for the career they are passionate about - even if it means entering a male-dominated industry.