Brady Tanner was born on January 4, 1980 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation, is the son of Gary and Jane Tanner and has two sisters Jamie and Jennifer. Brady has come a long way as he only weighed 4.9 pounds at birth and has Rubenstien-Taybi Syndrome which limits his ability to mentally develop and grow normally.

He started lifting in the Special Olympic Competitions at age 21 and was considered the Strongest Special Olympian in the World from 2011-2014 with his maximum lifts. The maximum lifts for Brady’s career included: Bench Press-525 lbs., Squat-650 lbs., Dead Lift-650 lbs., and a strict Curl-165 lbs. for a total maximum combination of 1,990 pounds.

In 2011 Brady was chosen to be on Special Olympic Team USA and represented America in Powerlifting at the 275+ category in Athens, Greece. He won three Gold Medals and one Silver Medal including the Overall Combination Gold Medal.

Brady has also won the following competitions:
-He competed in the first National Special Olympics Games and won two Gold Medals in Powerlifting.
-State Special Olympic Champion (Kansas) 19 times from 2001-2020.
-World Association of Bench Pressers and Deadlifters (WABDL) – 17 World
Championships in Bench Press and 17 World Championships in Deadlift. He was the Outstanding Lifter seven times in Bench Press and four times in Deadlift.
-Natural Athlete Strength Association (NASA) nine-time National Champion

Brady has also accomplished the following:
-Brady has been awarded Kansas City Sports Commission Special Athlete Achievement Award in 2011.
-He was recognized as one of the 10 Most Distinguished Kansan of 2011.
-The Mayor of Lawrence, Kansas declared June 16, 2011 as Brady Tanner Day.
-He is an inductee of the 2013 American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame
-Lawrence High School Hall of Honor in 2013
-Inducted to the World Association of Bench Pressers and Deadlifters Hall of Fame in 2016
-Kansas Special Olympics Hall of Fame in 2018

Brady was the Ball Boy for the Haskell Indian Nations University from 1987 until 2015 where he was motivational to all the student athletes in the athletic program.