Donna Moore was crowned World’s Strongest Woman in 2016, 2017 and 2019. She’s a role model for women both in her sport and globally. Fortunately for us, she’s also a Mirafit athlete.

We caught up with Donna to discuss how she juggles being a Mother, and NHS worker and a Strongwoman and what keeps her motivated to strive for more in her personal life and in her sport.

How do you deal with the pressure of Strongwoman training?

I’ve got good mental strength and I spend a lot of time concentrating on the task at hand. I've worked hard for the competitions. I want to perform to the best of my ability for everyone that has had the input into making the person that is standing there on competition day.

One way I deal with pressure is by visualising what’s going to happen to me at the competition and the way I want things to go. Sometimes it doesn't work that way but I think that visualising is the best tool I have to deal with pressure.

What was it like competing during Covid?

Covid has been a really testing time for everyone not being able to do what they want, when they want to do it. For training, I was able to set things up in my garage or outside and I was fortunate enough to be able to train. This may not have been to the capacity I wanted, but doing something is better than doing nothing at all and just moving makes you feel better. I am a key worker so it was important for me to have a bit of relaxation time lifting, these were definitely the positive parts of the day.

During Covid all of my competitions were off. A lot of my competitions involve travelling to America so that was off the cards. This year will be my first time back travelling to America so I am looking forward to that.

How do you manage to work full time and compete?

It takes a lot of time management and I enjoy my job and being a Strongwoman so, I wanted to merge them together and therefore I have to manage my time well. Some people don’t think I’m very organised but I know where I'm supposed to be, when I'm supposed to be there and what I'm supposed to be doing. Each day I formulate a plan of where I'm going to be. I’ve got to fit into everything in and around working, the children and Strongwoman training.

I’m fortunate enough now that my children are older, but when they were younger they had to come with me to competitions. I'd have to train when they were at a club, at school or when my shifts allowed me, so it was just about fitting it into the best of my ability. My mum helped me out and I'm very grateful for her support. I moved back to England so I could be nearer to my family because I missed my mum and dad and it was a benefit to the children.

How would you encourage women to start strength training?

Women should get into strength training first by visiting the gym. I know it seems daunting, but a lot of gyms are really welcoming. You can start by going to a class. That's what I did, I didn’t know anything about gyms or what to do. I went to aerobics and weights to music classes and just went from there.

Now a lot of gyms encourage women to lift weights so they’re welcoming and there will be people showing you what to do. When you’re there you’ll realise how welcoming it is and all the benefits there are of lifting weights. You’ll enjoy it and wish you had started earlier.

How does training benefit your physical and mental well-being?

Lifting weights has improved my mental and physical well-being far beyond anything I had done before. I found it empowering and a challenge to see what my body could do rather than what it would look like. Weight training also changed the way my body looked. I feel fitter and better able to do things now. Mainly lifting weights for my well-being, even if I wasn't competing I would have to go to the gym.

I think when you go on social media you see a lot of what people think women should look like and it’s tailored to less body fat and lean muscle mass. However, that’s not what normal women look like in real life with normal jobs. That look is achievable, but it's a very long process and very difficult. If you focus on what your body can do, the aesthetic will change anyway and it’s a lot less pressure, you’re not pushing yourself to eat less calories and do hours of cardio.

If you go to the gym and lift weights you’ll feel empowered. Whether you go to a class with your friends, or even if you like to go by yourself, that sense of achievement is greater than having ripped abs.

What advice would you give to women that want to start Strongwoman training? 

Motivation

I have two children, as a single parent and I wanted to show them that if you work hard you can achieve what you want, whether it’s in sport or school, if you work hard then it’s achievable. I know it’s not going to happen straight away and there's going to be ups and downs, but if you’re consistent with a good work ethic then you can achieve what you want. A good work ethic and consistency reap the rewards at the end.

Also, I like to see the ladies on the internet lifting weights because it makes me want to lift even more to show them what else can be done. If they tag me in a video and tell me that they’ve been inspired to lift then that’s the biggest compliment that I could ever receive.

My personal motivation is to enter competitions and do well whenever I compete. If you want to get started with Strongwoman or Strongman training the key takeaway is that it’s never too late to start and anyone can give it a go. Even if you don’t have access to a Strongman gym you can begin with some of your own basic equipment. Items such as Sandbags and Strongman Training Balls are key items that don’t take up much room in a home gym and can be used to adjust your training to a Strongman style workout.

Written by guest author Eryn Barber.

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Tags: Misc > Lifestyle