In this instalment of our Women in Sport series, we hear from Daina Moorehouse on her sporting inspirations, biggest goals, and proudest achievements.
Daina Moorehouse is a 22-year-old Olympic boxer from Bray who’s been boxing since the age of 11. With 13 Irish titles under her belt, Daina competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the 50kg (Flyweight) division. The athlete previously represented Ireland at the 2023 European Games in Poland, where she progressed to the quarter-finals.
Here, she shares her sporting story so far…
How did you become involved in boxing?
I come from a boxing family. My father was a boxer, my uncles were too, and my brother was the boxer of the family when I started. Once I started boxing, I fell in love with the sport and haven’t stopped since.
What message would you like to share with young women and girls interested in pursuing a career as an athlete?
The message I would like to share is to just go for it! You will never know if you never try. Little did I know all those years ago when I started boxing that I was going to be an Olympian, and now I’m so proud I did. Anything is possible and it’s never too late to start and most importantly never give up on your dreams!
The female athletes I admire most are…
Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington. As I’m from and living in the same town as Katie Taylor, she has always been a role model for me growing up in my boxing career. And I admire her for her talent and what she’s done for women’s boxing over the years. I have been on the Irish boxing team training alongside Kellie Harrington, went to the Olympic games with Kellie and witnessed Kellie win her second Olympic gold medal for Ireland which was an amazing experience. I really look up to Kellie because someday I would love to achieve what Kellie has achieved in her boxing career.
Favourite sporting memory?
My favourite memory was qualifying for the Olympic Games — my dreams came true that day. The Olympics have always been a dream of mine, and the feeling of knowing I did it, that I made it to the biggest sporting event in the world, was just the most amazing experience ever.
Do you think there is still a stigma around women in sport?
No, I’d like to think not. What women have achieved in sport is just amazing and the medals and performances speak for themselves.
The biggest stigma/misconception that exists in women’s sport is…
That women can’t do male-dominated sports, which I don’t agree with at all. Us women are very strong and powerful, and we put blood, sweat and tears into what we are passionate about, and that doesn’t even have to be sports.
If I wasn’t an athlete I would be…
A hairdresser or some type of beauty tech. I always loved doing nails growing up, so I think that would have been the road I would have chosen if I didn’t do any sports.
My favourite pre-fight meal is…
Plenty of carbs for me! I’d eat pasta, and get my electrolytes in, and Lucozade Sport for carbs in the ring.
My pre-fight playlist includes…
My favourite song to listen to before a fight is ‘The Greatest’ by Sia. It helps me get myself in the zone and remind myself that I am the greatest.
My daily routine is…
My training camp routine would be up early at 7am and out running on the seafront and doing sprints. I go home after that, have a nap, recover, and get on with my day until training again at 7pm that evening, which would involve boxing training bags, pads and sparring.
My biggest sporting goal is…
To qualify for the next Olympic Games in LA2028, and hopefully on the way pick up more Irish titles, European titles and World titles.
Sports brands I love (Irish or otherwise)…
I love wearing Powercut gym wear, not even just for training, but for everyday wear.
Biggest splurge to celebrate a win…
Lots of food! I love a good pizza after making weight and fighting when the tournament is over.
How do you mind your mental health?
I just take everything day by day. I don’t think too far ahead and I don’t dwell on any past decisions, I just keep looking forward to the journey ahead.
My three desert island beauty products are:
Dry shampoo, Sol de Janeiro body spray and lip plumper.
I need 8 hours of sleep at night…
To keep my energy levels good for the training and days I have ahead of me, I think it’s very important to get a good night’s sleep, especially the night before a fight.
Confidence, to me, is…
Being strong, I think being a strong person has helped me be more confident over the years.
How do you get over a bad performance?
I don’t dwell on any bad performance, whether it was a win or a loss. I’ll look back and see what I can improve on, then get back into the gym and work on the things I can fix.
Lastly, why is sport such an integral part of the community, on a club, local, national and personal level?
I think sport is important for a community because it’s inspiring the next generation, and it’s great having not only kids, but people looking up to you, and it’s amazing to know I’ve such a great community behind me no matter where I am in the world.
Feature created from an image by Sportsfile, all other imagery from @dainamoorehouse_boxing
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