Paris Olympian, Grainne Walsh, has contributed to this key Sport Ireland resource
‘Body Composition: More than a Number’ is raising awareness about the importance of appreciating your body for what it can do, not what it looks like.
In the video Gráinne is joined by former Ireland rugby team captain Ciara Griffin, and track and former Olympic road cyclist Emily Kay.
They share their stories of overcoming stereotypes and navigating the physical and mental challenges on their journey to becoming top performers in their sports.
Grainne says ” People have this perception of, like, I’ll be happy when when I get to 10 stone, or I’ll be happy when I get to the Olympics. It doesn’t exist. If you’re not happy on the journey that is irrelevant”
The video features insights into body composition – the term used to describe the amounts of fat, bone, and muscle in human bodies – and advice on training, nutrition, mental health, and managing pressure from both others and ourselves.
Grainne says ” Comparison is the thief of joy in boxing and there’s so many different styles. The older you get the more you realize it’s actually just what you produce in the ring – power to weight. To increase your power is quite a difficult thing to do and in a lot of people’s head it’s easy to lose a couple of kilo but instead of losing weight, I realized that I was gaining muscle and look at the power I can put out, so I’vejust gotten to the point where I actually know my body inside out. Trying to live a normal life, being able to eat enough to get you through your sessions – if you’re producing the performances it doesn’t really matter what shape or size you are?
