Kayak slalom Olympic hopeful Hannah Craig tells Patricia Westonthat there's no better feeling than to set oneself a goal and to try as hard as possible to achieve it
What's your training regime like?
I train on average one to three times a day, seven days a week depending on what time of the season it is. I paddle every day and I combine the paddling with sport-specific weights in the gym. I go to Curves for a full body workout and I attend my local gym, Club Tonic, for early morning cardiovascular exercise followed by recovery in the sauna. When I have got a few joules of energy left I go for a run in the Phoenix Park.
Have you ever suffered any serious injuries?
No, my most dramatic experience is no more than a toe squeezed under a door. But I've had my fair share of illnesses. I suffered from a kidney problem for several years until it was settled in 2004 by an operation. I also had the misfortune of experiencing adult chicken pox a few months ago and that definitely knocks you.
Do you worry about how you look?
For me you cannot separate the body and the mind, they equally influence each other. I do worry about my appearance because I feel it's a reflection of myself. But I worry about it in the sense that it's important to me and my eyes, not for other people's eyes. Occasionally when the mind isn't at its best I will struggle more and start looking through other people's eyes which for me isn't a good thing.
Are you comfortable with your body?
I like my body just the way it is because my mind and body are working together and in balance. Once I start to lose the balance in my lifestyle then the eyes I look through become more negative and controversial and I start to find faults.
What's your attitude to food?
For me food is about enjoyment and I think its easier to enjoy it when you understand what it actually does to your body. When you train a couple of times a day, you are very receptive to how you physically feel and with trial and error you get to know the foods that fulfil your energy requirements and those that are sapping your energy.
Have you ever used alternative remedies?
One of my friends is a reiki master and she has kindly offered her services, which I found very beneficial. I am a recently trained NLP (neurolinguistic programming) practitioner so I try and use several very powerful visualisation techniques on a regular basis.
As an athlete how do you view exercise?
I say just enjoy, enjoy and enjoy. That doesn't mean that it won't be without a struggle at times. But, what better feeling than to set a goal no matter what it is and try as hard as we can to achieve it.
Hannah is sponsored by Curves and is Ireland's number one hope for an Olympic kayak slalom medal in Beijing 2008.
Patricia Weston's comments:
Hannah's sport is kayak slalom which is a highly physical activity.
Paddling requires great upper body strength, strong arms, shoulders and back muscles.
The abdominal muscles are also key to maintaining stability and direction.
She says: "I'm aboard a carbon fibre fabricated kayak, three metres 50 long, 25cms deep and weighing only nine kilos. I negotiate 18-23 gates or hanging poles placed in tricky parts of roaring white water as fast as possible."
She needs to be in peak condition to paddle. "In order to master the lines imposed by the gates I have to, not only spend hours in the sometimes freezing water, developing my technique and challenging my physical and mental limits. I also need to be as fit as a fiddle and as strong as a lion," she adds.
Patricia Weston is an NCEHS fitness instructor, personal trainer and Pilates teacher. pweston@eircom.net