A World Champion At 18 | Road To G.O.A.T.
We’re glued to our TVs when Wimbledon comes around, hit share on our favorite athletes’ success stories, and watch in awe as they’re presented with gold medals. Their success is so inspiring that sometimes we forget to ask how they got there. Where they began, the ups, the downs and everything in-between.
In this series, Road to GOAT, we got all the info from some of our most successful ambassadors and inspiring athletes on how they got to where they are today. In this episode, Sub-Junior World Champion Powerlifter Laoise Quinn tells her story; from the cardio section to squatting 147.5kg, all while balancing being a full-time student.
“The best thing I’ve ever done”
Of course, Laoise didn’t start by lifting more than double her body weight, she started (like a lot of us) in the cardio section. And at 14 years old, heading into the busy weights section was an intimidating thought, but Laoise got over that pretty quickly.
Although this sparked Laoise’s love for lifting, she eventually got bored of her routine and wanted more. So, she joined a powerlifting team, and immediately felt at home.
Laoise confesses
“Restricting and binging cycle”
Tracking calories and macros at any age can be incredibly daunting, and having to pay special attention to your weight for your sport has the potential to lead into negative eating habits.
Laoise was tracking calories at 14 for the wrong reasons. Her nutrition was solely based around her appearance and she says she
“Eat good to feel good”
This moment with her friends, and seeing her training begin to suffer were two moments which triggered Laoise’s mindset shift.
Laoise began educating herself and finding inspiration through people going through the same thing. She learned to use macro counting to her advantage, without leaning on it. She began the shift.
Her mindset towards food and calories has totally switched gear. Laoise explains she’s now able to understand she eats good food to feel good both mentally and physically.
“I’ve found my people”
Behind most G.O.A.Ts is a solid support system. For Laoise, her two coaches have had a particularly prominent impact on her.
Laoise also talks about having to miss out on typical teenage rights-of-passage like going out and partying with her friends. She says her friends are really supportive of her training, and she’s also made life-long friends through powerlifting that share her same goals.
“We have it”
All of this working up to the big moment. Laoise’s win at the world championships.
It's hard to imagine what a moment like that feels like if you’ve never been in professional sport, and although Laoise looks cool, calm and collected, she says the nerves were most definitely there.
After squatting a hefty 147kg, Laoise composed herself for the bench and got to work. That was when she realized, she’d got the win.
Laoise ended up benching 77.7kg and deadlifting 155kg before she was presented with her well-deserved gold medal.
Take Home Message
Laoise is only 18 and has already dealt with some incredibly difficult challenges, oh, and won a junior world champion title too. At 18 her road to G.O.A.T may have some distance to cover yet, but we’re pretty certain Laoise will be racking up a few more titles over the coming years.
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