Mirabai Chanu Reveals Unwavering Focus: Weightlifting Always on Her Mind, Even During Family Time

Mirabai Chanu, India's celebrated weightlifter, reveals the relentless mental dedication required to compete at the highest level. Even during family time, the pressures of training and weight management are constant companions. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist in the 49kg category is currently focused on preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships.

Mirabai Chanu is the newest guest 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," Mirabai shared on the podcast series Game On. "Spending time with family is important, especially after dedicating so much time to training. It's necessary to relax a little."

However, the respite is fleeting. "Now it's time to face training again. Next is the Commonwealth Championships, which serves as a qualifier for the Commonwealth Games. Our full focus is on that, and our preparations are geared towards it."

The life of an elite athlete involves sacrifices. "We don’t really get to enjoy traveling," Chanu admits. "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?"

The mental burden extends to even the simplest pleasures. "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."

Chanu confessed her love for a particular indulgence: "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 medal collection includes:

• Olympic silver
• World Championships gold and silver
• Commonwealth Games two golds and a silver
• Asian Championships bronze