1. Up and at it – what is your morning routine?
During the week, when I am at work, I get up at 05:45 to be in the gym at 6:15 every morning. I’ll have a banana in the car on the way to training and I really look forward to oats at 10 o’clock break. People think that is far too early to go to the gym, but I love it. If, for whatever reason, I can’t train in the morning, my energy and focus definitely isn’t as good.
2. What might you eat in a typical working day for...
Breakfast? When I am at the gym, I have a banana on the way and then oats at 10am with fresh fruit and yoghurt.
Lunch? I mix lunch up a lot because I tend to get bored quickly with the same sort of food. I will try to get at least two eggs in with lunch, usually with cous cous and a mix of salad and meat.
Evening meal? It really depends: in summer I love to barbecue, so I will do that as often as I can. I eat a lot of fish and would usually pick it over meat when I can choose.
3. Is nutrition important to you?
I absolutely love food and I am at my happiest when eating. One of the reasons I love exercise so much is because it means I always have a good appetite and can eat what I want, within reason. I like to eat a really varied diet; it keeps the energy levels high and fuels my training.
4. Best meal ever?
Oh, that’s a hard one... barbecue steaks in the garden on a hot summer's day.
5. Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Like anyone, I do enjoy the odd indulgence. Chocolate would be high up the list.
6. Have you ever been on a diet? If so, how did it go?
No, I definitely don’t believe in diets. I think food should be about lifestyle. In general, I aim to eat lean and healthy as often as possible.
7. Do you take health supplements?
I take protein shakes to supplement my gym training. I don’t always think they are totally necessary, but I feel like they add to the commitment of training hard.
8. How do you relax?
Surfing! There is nothing that chills me out more than being in the sea. The best days are when I come home from work and head straight to the beach. Other than being in the sea, I love listening to music – recently, I have been listening to Ryan McMullan and Sullivan & Gold, both very easy-listening.
9. Teetotal or tipple?
Tipple – you can’t be good all the time.
10. Stairs or lift?
Stairs, and (usually), I try to race up them.
11. Do you have a daily exercise regime?
I like to get up early and train before work. I go to the gym early in the morning for an hour – mostly weight training, followed by a bit of cardio. A few evenings a week I will get in the sea for a surf or a flat water paddle in the kayak – it’s not only great exercise, but a great stress buster too.
12. Best tip for everyday fitness?
Make small changes that are sustainable. Most importantly, make sure you enjoy what you are doing, otherwise you’ll never stick at it. Get a friend to train with you too – it’s a lot harder to say no when someone is encouraging you.
13. On a scale of one to 10, how fit do you think you are and how fit would you like to be?
This is a difficult one because I feel like it depends who you compare yourself against. I would say I am seven – there's always a lot of room for improvement. Recently, though, being in the middle of the world championships, I have been feeling strong as I have trained very hard.
14. Have you tried, or would you try, alternative therapy?
There are certainly some useful alternative therapies like massage that help keep you in good condition and injury-free. I am a physiotherapist, so I am lucky that my colleagues are always at hand to help me with any injuries I pick up.
15. Were school sports happy times or do you have a memory you would rather forget?
No, I always enjoyed school sports. I always had a lot of energy as a kid, so it was a great time to get out of the classroom and blow off some steam. I was never very naturally skilled at football, though. It was only when I got into the surf I realised I could be good at a sport.
16. Did you ever have a health epiphany which made you change your lifestyle?
Not so much an epiphany, but, when I started kayaking, I always was striving to be better. In order to improve, I had to get bigger, faster and stronger, so that has always been my motivation: to stay fit and healthy. Once you are focused and have goals, it is really quite easy to stay on track.
17. Best health/lifestyle advice you were ever given and would pass on to others?
Find something you love and stick at it, then mix it up to keep yourself interested. It is so important that you do something you enjoy. Combine it with a healthy diet and stick to the 80/20 rule – be good 80 per cent of the time and relax it a little for the other 20 per cent.
18. Who inspires you or who would you try to emulate in terms of fitness/attitude to life?
I would say any sportsperson who competes at professional level. We have just completed the World Surf Kayaking Championships in Portrush and the dedication and training of all of the competitors has truly been an inspiration. To put yourself through a gruelling training and diet regime while carrying out your day job is no easy task and should be recognised.
19. What time do you normally get to bed and do you get enough sleep?
During the week, I love getting to my bed early. I like to be asleep by 11pm at the very latest – any later and I definitely struggle the next day.
20. Would you say you have a healthy attitude towards your own mortality?
Yes, I just enjoy surfing and keeping fit. When you enjoy it, it comes easy and you don’t think about it too much. It is much more of a lifestyle change than a conscious effort.
