Mirabai Chanu Reveals Constant Weightlifting Pressure: Training and Diet Consume Her Thoughts, Even With Family

Mirabai Chanu, India's celebrated weightlifter, reveals the relentless mental dedication required for her sport, stating that concerns about training and maintaining weight are ever-present, even when she's with family. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist in the 49kg category is currently focused on preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships.

Mirabai Chanu shares her insights on the Game On podcast.

"We get some rest, especially after major events like the Asian Games or Olympics. I took some rest too, but then got back to training. Spending time with family is very important, especially after dedicating so much time to training; it’s necessary to relax," Mirabai shared on Game On, a podcast series.

"That aspect was good, but now it's time to face training again. Next is the Commonwealth Championships, which serves as a qualifier for the Commonwealth Games. Our entire focus is on that, and all preparations are currently aimed toward it."

Mirabai further elaborated on the sacrifices athletes make: "We don’t really get to enjoy traveling. I do go out sometimes, but I can’t truly enjoy it with my family the way I’d like to, because we have to get back to training. We’ve already dedicated so much time to it, so we have to consider how to recover and maintain ourselves. These thoughts are always on my mind. I constantly wonder: when should I restart training? Will I be able to perform as I did before?"

She added, "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."

Mirabai confessed her cravings: "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.’"

Mirabai Chanu's impressive record includes an Olympic silver medal, 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.