Mirabai Chanu Reveals Relentless Dedication: Training and Weight Always Top of Mind, Even During Family Time

Mirabai Chanu, India's celebrated weightlifter, reveals the constant mental focus required to maintain peak performance, even when spending time with her loved ones. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist in the 49kg category is currently preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships.

Mirabai Chanu discusses her mental discipline on the Game On podcast.

"We do get some rest, especially after major events like the Asian Games or Olympics. I also took some time off, but then I got back to training quickly. Spending time with family is essential, particularly after dedicating so much time to training – it's important to unwind a bit," Mirabai shared on Game On, a podcast series.

"That period was beneficial, but now it's time to resume training. The next challenge is the Commonwealth Championships, which also serves as a qualifier for the Commonwealth Games. Our complete focus is on that, and all our preparations are directed towards it."

The sacrifices required for her sport are significant. "We don’t truly get to enjoy traveling. While I do go out occasionally, I can’t fully enjoy time with my family as I’d like to because we have to return to training. We've already invested so much time, so we must consider recovery and maintenance… these thoughts are always present. I constantly think: when should I begin training again? Will I be able to perform at my previous level?"

The mental game extends to her diet. "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's dedication is evident in her dietary choices. "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,’" she said.

Mirabai Chanu's impressive medal collection includes:

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