Introducing the brand new Sponsored Athlete for Herbalife Nutrition Ireland: Sharlene Mawdsley
Introducing the brand new Sponsored Athlete for Herbalife Nutrition Ireland: Sharlene Mawdsley
Sharlene Mawdsley is an Irish International Track Athlete and the NEW Herbalife Nutrition sponsored athlete. We sit down with Sharlene to talk about her passion for running and why she’s selected the Informed Sport approved H24 range to fuel her journey to the running hall of fame.
“Through the support and guidance from Herbalife Nutrition, I have been able to understand that nutrition is so important in becoming a successful athlete.”
Growing up in Ireland’s Tipperary, Sharlene Mawdsley found sport at a young age and quickly realised that short, sharp, speedy races were her thing. Now a successful sprinter with some awesome personal bests under her belt, she’s emerged as a track athlete with serious talent and ambition.
With her sights set on the biggest prize of all – The Olympics – she’s fine tuned her training and her nutrition to get race ready. Read on to find out where she’s heading, the importance of goal setting and why she’s taking CR7 Drive and H24 Formula 1 Sport along for the ride…
How important is nutrition to your success as an athlete?
Nutrition is vital in the success of an athlete and that is something I am only now learning. Understanding how to fuel your body is essential with high intensity training. I am now working closely with my nutritionist who is excellent in tracking my diet and guiding me through what is right and what is wrong.
And through the support and guidance from Herbalife Nutrition, I have been able to understand that nutrition is so important in becoming a successful athlete. Including protein into my diet has been the biggest thing for me this year and I really believe it has fuelled my performance in training. Again, balance is key. I never restrict myself as I never want to end up disliking what I do. I eat chocolate most days, (within reason of course!) and I usually have a takeaway once every week. I live by an 80-20 rule. 80% healthy 20% whatever I feel like.
Tell us about your Herbalife Nutrition regime. What products help fuel your training and performance?
“Since working with Herbalife I have begun to include the products into my daily routine.”
Each day I bring a CR7 Drive electrolyte drink with me to training which ensures I am hydrated for the session. I then use the Formula 1 sport to recover. I often put this into my oats after I train. If not, I will have a protein shake using the Formula 1 sport after a gym session. These are my two favourite Herbalife products and are two products I have been using since I began working with Herbalife Nutrition.
You’ve been using the Herbalife Nutrition products for a few months now. What was your expectation and what is your actual experience with the products?
I initially wasn’t sure about taking any products in general, but
“once I was educated about the products, I could see how they could benefit me in the longer term.”
When I began using the H24 range, I was able to trust that they are catered towards my needs. Including extra protein into my diet has been important as my training is highly intense and the shakes really help with that. Overall, I have had a great experience with Herbalife Nutrition and I am looking forward to continuing using the products as part on my onward journey.
How do you stay motivated? Do you have a favourite motivational quote that helps you?
Honestly? It’s not always easy to stay motivated. Sometimes my motivation runs low, however this is only maybe 5-10% of the time. My coach and training partners help me stay motivated. On those days when I’m struggling, I simply get up and persist as if it’s my job. Some days you may not want to get out of bed to go to work, but you still do. That is how I look at athletics.
I also love what I do. I train hard so I always believe in the quote
“What’s for you won’t pass you by”. I believe in this quote in all aspects of life, so I tend to bring it with me into Athletics too. It’s served me pretty well so far!
What does it mean to you to represent Ireland as a professional athlete?
It means the world to me. There is no sense of achievement like putting on the Irish vest after months of hard training, knowing it all paid off.
2020 was an odd year, what changes did you have to make to your training regime as a result? And how did you set your goals for this year?
2020 was a difficult year in terms of athletics. The full lockdown meant that I had to be without my coach and training partner for a long period of time. I was also unable to attain access to a gym and had no strength and conditioning coach at the time. Thankfully to UL Sport, I was allowed access to the track as I was in lockdown in my university student accommodation.
I learned a lot from 2020. Adaptation being number one. I am now able to adapt my training when I must, as you never know when the next lockdown is coming, or when this virus is going to end. I sat down with my coach just before the preparation for 2021 began and reviewed my year. We made numerous changes, which have in turn showed progression in my training. This year was to get back running fast with no pressure. This is when I run my best, so fingers crossed!
