Rhys McClenaghan: Motivation 'a struggle' for Commonwealth gymnastics champion
- Published
McClenaghan rose to prominence with his Commonwealth Games success in Australia
Sometimes all it needs is an encouraging word from a friend to pick us up and make us feel a bit better.
This applies to aspiring Olympians as well, even those who have already stood on top of international podiums.
Commonwealth and European pommel horse champion Rhys McClenaghan would, under normal circumstances, be training in the state-of-the-art facility at the National Sports Campus in Dublin with his dream of the competing at the Olympics just a few months away.
But normal isn't a word that applies to life anymore and the 20-year-old, like everyone else, finds himself confined to his parents' house in Newtownards with no competition currently scheduled and with the Tokyo Games postponed for a year.
Like anyone else there are good days and bad days.
Social distancing 'quite difficult'
"The social distancing part of all of this is quite difficult. I've grown up with so many important friendships surrounding me and it feels like sometimes these have been taken away.
"However the good thing is that everyone is in this together so you're getting calls from friends every day and that's what is helping me at the moment.
"The training is actually not too bad but the motivation is difficult and it's been a struggle. I've constantly been trying to find ways to motivate myself.
"There are days when that is so difficult but what has really helped is when friends have called me up and have pretty much told me to get up off my backside and work harder than everyone else in the world. I'm thriving on that and it's a learning process every day."
McClenaghan secured Ireland's first World Gymnastics Championship medal last year
To help continue with his training his dad Danny, and Rhys, have built a room at the back of his house where he trains each day.
"It's Rhys's little gymnastics academy," he says. "It is challenging but I'm in a very lucky position that I'm able to do a lot of my sport at home because it's a lot of strength work and body conditioning that doesn't require a lot of equipment.
"I feel for the swimmers and those like the hockey players who can't meet up as a team."
There is a missing member of Team McClenaghan and that is his coach Luke Carson. Normally the duo, who have delivered a Commonwealth gold medal, a European title and a World bronze medal, all before Rhys celebrates his 21st birthday, spend everyday together in the gym.
Now they are apart and using all the technology available to them to communicate.
"I'm FaceTiming Luke all the time and sending him videos of my skills that I'm working on and he'd give me feedback. It's strange, it's not the same but it's something that we're having to adjust to in these times."
'More time to progress'
And so McClenaghan continues to train not knowing when he'll next compete as the world governing body, the FIG, try to rearrange a schedule to lead into the Olympics in July next year.
"I can only try to take it all in my stride in these uncertain times. Everything is leading up to the Olympic Games and we'll take things as they come and be even stronger next year.
"I'm trying to take the delay as a positive as we can upgrade the routine and try for an even better score. I'll only be 21 when the Games come around so this just gives me even more time to progress."
In the meantime the gymnast will keep his many followers on social media updated and that will also include tips on how to look after your own mental health in these times we find ourselves in.
"I'm watching a lot of motivational videos from guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Will Smith and they get me hyped up for training and I listen to a lot of music and that energises me as well.
"But exercise is so important and a great way to keep yourself motivated. If you exercise in the morning it sets you up for the rest of the day, you literally feel like you have more energy and are more focused in the mind as well.
"Keeping in touch, even if it's been impossible to do so in person, continues to be very important as we all maintain our social distancing."