Claire O’Hara: World Champion in Freestyle Kayak and Squirt Boat Kayak
Reveals her Success Mantra "Nothing is Impossible"
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have selected a sports as a multi-disciplined paddler and
have experience in paddling freestyle, squirt boat, slalom, surf, polo and white
water kayak that requires a lot of hard labor, technical soundness and
excellence in different faculties to finally succeed, how do you achieve that?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: I think have been able to achieve the success and diversity
in my paddling as a result of the many incredible opportunities that have come
my way during my paddling life. I am the kind of person who says yes and try's
to maximize on every opportunity that comes my way and I think that as a result
of this I have been able to experience and develop wider both as a paddler and a
person. I enjoy challenge and trying new things especially within the sport I
love.
I enjoy and thrive of the challenge of learning difficult skills and often won't
stop trying until I master it. Something I think is especially essential in
learning freestyle kayaking skills and I think has helped me achieve the high
standards that I have. If I can see someone else can do something and I want it.
I will keep working and trying until I figure it out. I think that this
determination and drive and passion for excellence combined with the
transferability of a lot of the paddle sport skills has meant that I have been
able to experience and enjoy many of the incredible disciplines of kayaking over
the years. Something I look forward to continuing to a lot more in future years.
I thrive on being the best I possibly can and I am extremely competitive. Add
this to a sport where there is always more to learn, new rivers and waves to
paddle and new skills to master, and you are on a never ending learning curve.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: How could you overcome the element of fear in freestyle
kayaking as a sport?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: Fear is something that challenge us all in many different
ways through life. I see fear as being a way to describe the feelings associated
with the hazards and risks involved in a situation. To me there are two
components of fear that I have battled at different times during my paddling
life. The battle with the Real 'physical' fear and the perceived 'psychological'
fear.
In terms of real physical fear, I feel that this component of fear is associated
with the direct dangers and life threatening risks that come from playing in a
natural playgrounds and pushing the limits in a sport like this. This is
something that I have become more and more aware of as I have progressed in my
paddling career. The risk that comes from pushing the limits of an extreme sport
and the increase in consequences that come with this.
To me a lot of my paddling nowadays has been shaped and developed by a real
awareness of these risks. I have a real and very healthy respect for the rivers
and the sport of kayaking and have chosen my current focuses within the sport as
a result of this. My shift towards freestyle kayaking was partially due to the
fact that freestyle, as a whole, is low risk. For a whitewater paddle sport,
freestyle is extremely challenging and rewarding with endless opportunities for
progression without the need to put yourself into increasing levels of danger as
is more the case when searching for the same challenge and buzz out on the
rivers.
So part of my fear coping strategy has been shaped by the disciplines I have
chosen to focus on, as well as the ability to reflect on my previous experiences
and acknowledge and respect the dangers and risk associated with the disciplines
and different environments involved in my sport and make smart choices as a
result of this.
The other fear I have and will continue to experience is the perceived
(physiological) fear. The fear in your mind where the consequences of a
situation are massive but the reality is the real physical risk is only small.
To me this often relates to the nerves and expectations that i put upon myself
as a competitor to achieve and reach a certain level of success.
This is something I am continually aware of and working to overcome. I find one
of the biggest challenges here is to keep a realistic check on what my goals and
outcomes are to ensure that they are controllable and realistic. For example at
the 2015 World Championships if my goal is solely 'to win both golds again' then
it carries with it a lot of pressure and a fear of not winning. Especially as
Its in a situation that I cannot fully control, as I do not know and can not
have any influence on what my competitors do or what the wave will be like on
the day.
However if I change my goal slightly to be 'to get as good as I possibly can' by
then. So I can 'lay down the best possible rides I can on the day' then suddenly
the pressure is different. It becomes a much more manageable and controllable
situation and therefore the fear is less as this is something that is much
easier to achieve and ultimately if all goes well the outcome can be the same.
If I can perform my best possible rides on the day and I prepare well, then in
theory I am in with a very good shot of defending my World titles and winning
both golds again.
These are both areas my coaches help me with a lot.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout
routine you shall like to share?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: My fitness routine varies throughout the season but is
primarily based around being fit and ready for training and at a peak of fitness
in time for each competition.
Through out the year I spend a lot of time in my kayaks. Working on the sport
specific skills and developing my boating fitness base. But I also do a lot of
out of boat training especially during the off season to help me keep balanced,
fit and injury free.
Over the last few years I have spent the off season training with 6 degrees fit
in Sydney. Here I have been very lucky to have the support of their lead
personal trainer Abel who designs his group based MMA boot camp fitness training
session specifically to help me train and be ready for events. We do a lot of
explosive power and plyometrics work with core strength development and interval
training. This has made a huge difference to my general fitness levels and
helped me go into each season super strong and ready. It's also really good fun.
During the season I tend to focus more on supplementing my paddling fitness with
flexibility (yoga and stretching sessions) and strength conditioning session. I
have programme of sport specific exercises and routines that my Physio (Fraiser
Mckinney) created for me 4 years ago that I regularly use as it targets all the
muscle groups neglected by kayaking and help me keep in an around good shape.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you
follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: I have had a lot of nutritional input over the years and this
has allowed me to be very aware of what I am eating to ensure that I have a
balanced diet that contains all the calories and nutrients that I need and that
can help me maintain good energy levels through the week. I don't follow a
strict diet but I am nutritional aware. I love chocolate and have a weakness for
other good tasting bad foods such as pizza, ice cream and chips. So my nutrition
definitely isn't perfect but I find that by being aware of what I'm eating and
consequently the effect that bad nutrition has on my energy levels and
performance I can keep on track and manage it with out feeling tied into a
specific diet or food plan.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Elaborate your experience on winning 2013 World Championship
(Freestyle Kayaking) and World Championship (Squirt Boat)?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: Winning the 2013 World Championships was amazing. I had been
training super hard and made massive progress in my paddling performance and to
be able to showcase it during the event was insane. There were elements of the
competition where the pressure was on as my competitors laid down some solid
rides. Which kept the pressure on and in the end it came down to the very last
ride in freestyle and even then no one knew who had won until the judges
announced the scores. That's the kind of competitions I like to be part of. High
standards, everyone battling it out the whole way through and constant pressure
to be on the very top of your game right until the very end.
It was so exciting and rewarding to be able to put down some epic runs and
defend both world titles again and to set some new world record scores
throughout the event. Especially in front of all my friends and family and with
such a audience big crowd at the event and online.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Advice and motivational words for our inspiring and budding
paddling girls who all are your fans, what should they do for their climb to the
ladder of success in field of paddling and kayaking?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: Follow your dreams and work hard to achieve your goals.
Nothing is impossible, but a lot of goals require a lot of hard work, focus and
grit determination to achieve. At the end of the day whatever your personal goal
is remember to enjoy the process of getting there as this is the stage that
makes up your life. Enjoy everyday whether it be on the water or in the gym and
ultimately paddle because you love it.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have won and participated in many freestyle kayaking
championships. Share with us your most memorable experience?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: Winning the double for the first time in 2011. I had already
competed in one final and smashed it winning the squirt boating gold. I was sat
in the eddy chatting to my coach (Dennis Newton Sweet water Coaching) before my
second ride in my second finals of the day, the freestyle event. I was already
so happy to be in the finals and had nothing to loose. I was competing against
the best paddlers in the world. Den said to me 'just go do it' and I looked
around the audience as I paddled into the competition feature and then boom I
was off. I knew as I paddled out of the wave 45 seconds later, that that was the
best performance I could have given on that day. Then to hear the announcers
make the call that I was in the lead and for no one to be able to beat that
score during their final rides and for me to then take the win. That was epic. A
day I will never forget. The day my dreams became a reality.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Who has been your inspiration and motivation that led you to
your success in the world of paddling and kayaking?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: Throughout my paddling career I have meet so many people who
have inspired me and motivated me to progress and achieve that it is impossible
to name just one. I have found that every time I paddle I have received
encouragement, motivation and inspiration from those I am out on the water with
and I feel that every single one of the people I have meet and had the pleasure
to share experiences on the river with have helped shape me into the paddler
that I am now. From my first days on the water as a kid until paddling in Uganda
with some of the worlds best freestyle kayakers and my coaches just a few days
ago.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You won 2 times World Freestyle Kayak Champion, 3 times World
Champion Squirt Boat Kayak, 2 times Mystery World Champion Squirt Boating. You
are the only female athlete to have ever performed a 24 Second Mystery Move, a
Super Clean Heli Split Wheel, a Split Split Tricky Woo Combo and many other top
moves. What responsibility do these winnings and achievements bestow upon you in
your future efforts and activities in the field of paddling and kayaking?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: I hope that what I have achieved will enable me to continue
to lead a new presence within paddle sport. That I will have inspired many
paddlers young and old, male and female to see beyond the limits and traditional
expectations and to strive for a standard of excellence surpassing anything that
as all ready achieved.
For me I now know there is no limit and that if I train smart and hard I can
achieve anything I dream of within the sport. I have already had an extremely
successful career and achieved so much but I have not finished yet. I love
kayaking and look forward to continuing to do it for many many more years to
come. I think my role now as I move forward is to continue to inspire and
motivate and support the next generation on and off the water in continuing to
take the sport further and further forward.
I hope I can pass this hard working and goal breaking limitless ethos on to the
next generation and even more than that that I can pass on the importance of
having fun out there. The importance of being part of the community, of sharing
a positive attitude and enthusiasm within the sport and enjoying every moment
out on the river.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and
message for its visitors?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: I would like to thank Women Fitness for inviting me to be
feature in this interview and for the great work they do in promoting and
supporting the achievements, levels of fitness and work that is being done by
women including female athletes around the world.
To know more about Claire O’Hara, check her out at:
Women Fitness Team thanks Claire O’Hara for giving her valuable time for this
interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and made
this interview happen.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have selected a sports as a multi-disciplined paddler and
have experience in paddling freestyle, squirt boat, slalom, surf, polo and white
water kayak that requires a lot of hard labor, technical soundness and
excellence in different faculties to finally succeed, how do you achieve that?
Ms. Claire O’Hara: My fitness routine varies throughout the season but is
primarily based around being fit and ready for training and at a peak of fitness
in time for each competition. 
Ms. Claire O’Hara: Throughout my paddling career I have meet so many people who
have inspired me and motivated me to progress and achieve that it is impossible
to name just one. I have found that every time I paddle I have received
encouragement, motivation and inspiration from those I am out on the water with
and I feel that every single one of the people I have meet and had the pleasure
to share experiences on the river with have helped shape me into the paddler
that I am now. From my first days on the water as a kid until paddling in Uganda
with some of the worlds best freestyle kayakers and my coaches just a few days
ago.
