Mirabai Chanu: Olympic Medalist Reveals Relentless Training Focus, Even During Family Time

Mirabai Chanu: Training and Weight Concerns Linger, Even During Family Time

Mirabai Chanu is the newest guest on the Game On podcast.

Mirabai Chanu, India's celebrated weightlifter, reveals the constant mental presence of training demands and weight management, even when spending precious moments with her family. The silver medalist in the 49kg category at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is currently dedicated to preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships.

"We do get some rest, especially after major events like the Asian Games or Olympics. I took some time off too, but then returned to training. Spending time with family is incredibly important, especially after dedicating so much time to training – it’s essential to relax a little," Mirabai shared on the "Game On" podcast.

"That aspect was great, but now it's time to get back to training. Next is the Commonwealth Championships, which also serves as a qualifier for the Commonwealth Games. So, we are fully focused on that, and all our preparations are currently geared towards it."

She further added, "We don’t really get to enjoy traveling. I do go out sometimes, but I can’t really enjoy with my family the way I’d like to – because we have to get back to training. We’ve already given so much time to it, so we have to think about how to recover, how to maintain ourselves... these things are always on my mind. I keep thinking: when should I restart training? Will I be able to perform like I did before?"

"So honestly, we're always thinking about training—even while eating! We think: if I eat this, what effect will it have? Will I gain fat? Will my weight go up? Because of this, we can’t even eat what we want to."

"I love junk food—especially pizza! Everyone knows that. But I still can’t eat it. Even when I’m not training, I really feel like eating it, but I stop myself and think, ‘If I eat this, how will tomorrow’s training go?’ I have to maintain my weight, especially keeping it at 50 kg. It’s very tough—training and staying at that weight. So, even when I want something, I have to stop myself and say, ‘Not now, focus on the competition first,’" she said.

Mirabai's impressive medal collection includes an Olympic silver, a gold and a silver at the World Championships, two golds and a silver at the Commonwealth Games, and a bronze at the Asian Championships.