When you think of the phrase “top 10 people” who embody raw resilience, a kaleidoscope of legends, fighters, and sheer willpower springs to mind. From bare‑knuckle bouncers to record‑breaking ultrarunners, this roundup showcases the individuals who have turned toughness into an art form.
Top 10 People: Defining Toughness
10 Lenny McLeanThe Guv’nor
Picture a man whose very presence feels as solid as steel. Now glance at Lenny McLean’s photograph above; the two images should match perfectly. This East London heavyweight took part in countless illegal, often bare‑knuckle bouts, serving as the go‑to enforcer for many of the city’s most notorious gangsters before cementing his reputation as one of Britain’s most feared bouncers.
His life has inspired several documentaries and a best‑selling autobiography. For a true taste of his ferocity, pop in Guy Ritchie’s 1998 classic Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, where McLean himself portrays a ruthless East End bouncer.
Beyond the screen, McLean’s legend lives on through the stories of his relentless fights, his intimidating stare, and the sheer aura of danger that seemed to follow him everywhere he went.
9 Jacques BurnelA Proper Strangler
While Lenny McLean proved you need a hard body to survive as a bouncer, bassist Jean‑Jacques Burnel shows that even a pop star must master self‑defence. Growing up as the son of French immigrants in Notting Hill, he endured bullying and mockery for his heritage, which forged his resolve to protect himself.
In 1974, Burnel joined the Guildford Stranglers, a band formed by part‑time drummer Brian Duffy, known as “Jet Black.” The Stranglers, famed for their punk edge, were no strangers to occasional scuffles.
One infamous backstage clash involved Paul Simonon of The Clash. Simonon’s nervous habit of spitting on the floor was misread by Burnel as a sign of disrespect. As a karate black‑belt and UK branch chief of The Shidokan, Burnel ensured the Stranglers walked away victorious from that heated encounter.
8 Jerry CollinsRugby’s Terminator
Rugby union may be a minority sport in many nations, yet in places like Wales, South Africa, and especially New Zealand, it is practically a religion. The All Blacks dominate the global stage, and none have struck as much fear in opponents as Jerry “The Terminator” Collins.
Collins’ icy, shark‑like grin and his thunderous tackling earned him a reputation akin to a storm colliding with a tornado in a nuclear battlefield. His presence on the field was terrifying, and his hits could stop a game in its tracks.
Tragically, in 2015, Collins and his partner Alana Madill were killed in a car crash in France. Collins was just 34, and his daughter Ayla, who survived the crash, was also in the vehicle. Watching his most ferocious tackles on video will make anyone think twice about stepping onto a rugby pitch.
7 Joe Medicine CrowLast War Chief
In the Crow tribe, becoming a war chief means completing four ancient rites: touching an enemy without killing him, seizing an opponent’s weapon, leading a successful war band, and stealing a foe’s horse. While you might assume such feats belong to the pre‑industrial era, Joe Medicine Crow accomplished them during World War II.
After earning the first master’s degree ever awarded by the Crow Nation, Crow led a seven‑man sabotage squad along the Siegfried Line. In a fierce village assault, he confronted a Nazi soldier, knocked him to the ground, and confiscated his rifle. Later, he commandeered fifty horses from a German battalion, fulfilling the final traditional requirement.
These extraordinary wartime deeds, performed amid the most mechanised conflict in history, proved Crow’s toughness eclipsed even a cobbler’s closet of ancient boots. He later became a respected tribal spokesman and author, sharing his wisdom with the world.
6 Polyana VianaMugger’s Ruin
Women’s mixed‑martial arts has shattered the myth that “women aren’t tough.” Brazilian fighter Polyana Viana exemplifies this truth, dominating the octagon and then taking the fight to a would‑be mugger on the streets of Rio.
In January 2019, Viana stepped out of her apartment when a would‑be robber demanded her belongings and brandished what appeared to be a gun. When she realised the “weapon” was nothing more than a crumpled piece of cardboard, she swiftly turned the tables, crushing the attacker as if he were a flimsy sheet of paper.
The surge of Brazilian talent in MMA raises a simple question: why attempt a robbery in a nation where fighting is practically a national pastime? Viana’s story proves that underestimating a trained fighter is a grave mistake.
5 Paul ViceThe Unkillable Corporal
Sometimes, being “hard as nails” means enduring the worst blows and still standing tall. Royal Marines Corporal Paul Vice epitomises this resilience. While on patrol in Afghanistan in 2011, his team fell victim to an IED blast.
The explosion left Vice with catastrophic injuries: over a hundred wounds and more than three hundred fragments of shrapnel embedded in his body. He “died” twice during the evacuation flight, yet survived against all odds.
Defying his injuries, Vice entered the Invictus Games, clinching a gold medal in cycling in 2014 and amassing seven medals in total by 2016, showcasing an indomitable spirit that refuses to be broken.
4 Courtney DauwalterRecord Setter
Imagine an athlete whose feet seem forged from titanium—courtesy of the United States ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter. She has claimed victory in nine out of twelve races within a single calendar year, an astonishing achievement for any competitor.
Her résumé includes conquering ultra‑marathons that span over 160 kilometers (100 miles). In the 2017 Run Rabbit Run, she not only won the grueling 100‑mile contest but also did so while battling temporary blindness for the final 19 kilometers (12 miles), a feat most would deem impossible.
3 Lady Almeria BraddockPetticoet‑Clad Duelist
Before duels fell out of favour in mid‑19th‑century England, many were fought over what today would be considered petty slights. In 1792, the spirited Lady Almeria Braddock, a proud young woman, found herself insulted by Mrs Elphinstone, who claimed Lady Braddock possessed a “very good autumn face” and suggested that men were “all over her 40 years ago,” implying she was over sixty.
Enraged, Lady Braddock demanded satisfaction. Mrs Elphinstone proposed a duel, asking whether swords or pistols were preferred. “Both!” shouted Lady Braddock. The encounter saw a bullet perforate Braddock’s hat, prompting seconds to plead for an end, yet the lady, still unsatisfied, pressed on with swords, ultimately wounding her opponent’s arm and proving that a misjudged remark about a lady’s age could be deadly.
While historians debate the veracity of this tale—no concrete evidence confirms either woman existed—it persists as a vivid illustration that even aristocratic women of the 18th century could possess a ferocity rivaling any swordsman.
2 Travis KauffmanLion Tamer
Travis Kauffman may appear unassuming, but his résumé tells a different story. A Colorado native, he enjoys trail‑running, having placed among the top 100 in a 50‑kilometre race, and he’s an avid skier—yet his claim to fame is a 2019 encounter with a mountain lion.
While out on a run, a juvenile lion, roughly 18 kilograms (40 lb) in weight, launched an ambush. The ensuing ten‑minute battle saw Kauffman emerge victorious, though not unscathed—he sustained injuries to his face and wrist. He now jokes about future plans to ski and perhaps even take on a polar bear armed with a python.
1 David GogginsMotivational Speaker, Total A*s‑Kicker
Once labeled an asthmatic, overweight underdog, David Goggins transformed himself into a living embodiment of relentless grit. He once described himself as a “loser,” but that identity became the fuel for an extraordinary metamorphosis.
His military résumé is staggering: the sole individual to finish Air Force Tactical Air Controller training, graduate US Army Ranger School as the Enlisted Honor Man, and complete the punishing Navy SEAL training—all three “hell weeks” in a single career. Afterward, he served with SEAL Team Five during the Iraq conflict.
Beyond service, Goggins raised $2 million for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation in memory of friends lost in a 2005 helicopter crash. He’s tackled more ultramarathons than most sane people could imagine and briefly held the Guinness World Record for most pull‑ups in 24 hours, completing 4,030 in 17 hours.
Inspired yet? Goggins isn’t a typical self‑help guru; his life is proof that sheer willpower can rewrite any narrative.