Athlete:

Will Ryan

Olympic Sailor - Mens 470 Crew

What does your standard training week involve?
In Olympic sailing each week usually varies as we are often at different stages of preparation for whatever our next regatta is. However each week we are spending time in the Gym both for Strength and Injury Prevention work, but also balancing this with building our cardio levels with outdoor activities. Of course we spend plenty of time on the water in our boats 5-6 days per week; and we have to balance this with recovery activities so we can do it all again the next week

Where is your favourite place to train?
Everyone loves home – So I have to say Lake Macquarie ☺ Israel is a great venue with good winds and warm water; or anywhere in Switzerland has great mountains to cycle and climb in our downtime.

What is your favorite 2XU garment? When do you use it and why?
I love my 2XU Compression Socks – these are always in my backpack ready for the next plane or travel.

What is your favourite training accessory?
I always have my GPS HRM with me for every outdoor adventure I go on. Always great to be able to view the different routes taken; compare training times and performance; and to compare against Strava friends

What has been the toughest experience in your career and what did you learn from it?
The many sacrifices which come with being an athlete – missing big special events of family and friends, time away from loved ones, less scoops of ice-cream ☺. Each of these decisions helps focus upon the main goal though and provides motivation to keep pushing harder.

What’s the most common training mistake you see on the circuit? Any suggestions on how to avoid it?
So many athletes become over trained and no longer enjoy their training. I think using a variety of activities to work towards your goals, and training as many times outside as possible helps avoid monotony. I sign up for different endurance races as well to challenge myself personally in different mediums, and it provides shorter term goals to focus on as I work towards the big overall ultimate goal. For me this helps me enjoy the training as I can smile while enjoying the ever-changing passing view.

What motivates you to train and race harder?
I am naturally a competitive person so I’m always motivated to race harder; the people around me are an important piece in the puzzle though to help me make sure I’m training hard and pushing forward in the right areas. Embracing a healthy active lifestyle though becomes addictive, and this fuels the motivation and enjoyment to keep pushing harder too.

Describe your diet/meal plan leading up to a big race:
Weight maintenance is an important factor with Olympic sailing – finding a diet balance that can help build your energy reserves but not increase body weight is key. As we are always changing location, the meal contents can vary with the local availability – however a big breakfast (Weetbix when possible) for me is especially important! Getting some meat and a healthy mix of salad in my other meals keeps me full, healthy, and feeling ready.

How do you balance your training and racing life with life outside the sport?
To keep Mum happy I first focused on finishing my Bachelor Degree. After this I realized how important the balance of life outside sport is, and how it can help sport life too! I am currently undertaking a Master’s degree (albeit on a slower time-scale).

What type of nutritional supplement do you find most helpful (either for training or competition)?
I take a daily multivitamin from Blackmore’s as well as their Sports Magnesium range. I find this helps avoid being sick, helps recover better, and I feel I have more energy for my day to perform better!

Best and worst thing about being a professional athlete:
Best – Travelling the world
Worst – Travelling the world while trying to live out of one bag most of the year.

In five years time, I'll be:
Hopefully still living a fun adventurous lifestyle with plenty of sport and career challenges.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Winning the 470 Worlds in my first year as a team with Mat; and being able to defend the title.