Women in Sport: Team GB Weightlifter Sarah Davies

Beginning her sporting journey as a child gymnast, Sarah Davies tried out many different sports, playing golf to a high standard before she came to Weightlifting at 19 years of age. Since then, she has been to three Commonwealth Games, winning the 2022 Games. She has been to multiple World and European Senior Championships, winning medals at both. Sarah also finished fifth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Here, she shares her sporting story so far…

Name: Sarah Davies

Profession: Team GB Weightlifter and the owner of online coaching business, Wisdom 4 Weightlifting.

Earliest sporting memory?

I remember the first time I walked into the gymnastics centre as a child. I immediately fell in love with the sport. In 2002, was fortunate enough to meet Beth Tweddle before she went on to compete in the Manchester Commonwealth Games. It was from meeting Beth and watching the games that I knew I wanted to compete at a Commonwealth Games.

How did you become involved in your sport?

I started Weightlifting at university in Leeds. The GB team were based in Leeds in the build up to London 2012, and I had made friends with a few on the team and they encouraged me to try the sport.

What message would you like to share with young women and girls interested in pursuing a career as an athlete?

Keep pushing. There will be people who try to stop you being successful because they are jealous you have the discipline to be great. If it makes you happy then be the best athlete you can be.

Proudest moment so far…

Winning the 2022 Commonwealth Games after three really hard years in my personal life.

The female athlete I admire most is…

Emily Muskett (née Godley) because she was in the process of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics when her mum was diagnosed with Motor Neurones Disease. Emily moved back from Australia during the pandemic to help care for her mum, all whilst training to try and qualify for the Olympics. Unfortunately Emily’s mum lost her battle in December 2020 just 12 months after her diagnosis. Despite this, Emily had the ability to carry on training. Went on to win the European Championships the following April and go on to compete in Tokyo. Emily’s determination and resilience is something to be really admired but she is also one of the most kind, caring and humble people I know.

Favourite sporting memory…

Watching Beth Tweddle win a bars bronze medal in 2012, showing the country that we could be competitive on the Olympic stage.

Do you think there is still a stigma around women in sport?

I think it is changing, but too slowly. Especially around strength sports, there is still the stigma that lifting weights creates a masculine figure. Women do not have enough testosterone to create the figure everyone imagines when they think of the stereotype.

What is the biggest barrier to driving visibility in women’s sports?

I think it’s very much a vicious cycle at the moment and we need one company to break the mould for it to open up women’s sport. Companies do not sponsor women’s sport because it doesn’t get enough air time and visibility, yet television does not show enough women’s sport because it does not have enough financial backing. I think the women’s rugby and football lately have started to break this cycle more but it needs a big shake up.

The biggest stigma/misconception that exists in women’s sport is…

That you can’t be a female athlete and feminine.

If I wasn’t an athlete I would be…

I was training to be a PE teacher when I found weightlifting so I would probably still be teaching.

My favourite pre-competition meal is…

Because I have to cut weight to make my weight class, I enjoy loads of carbs just after weighing in before competitions, so a Nutella sandwich then a bag of Haribo is always a winning combo.

My pre-competition playlist includes…

Pre-compeitition, I always like to stay nice and chilled so it’s often quite relaxing like country music or similar. Then once I walk into the warm up room I don’t have any headphones in, I just like to absorb the atmosphere.

My daily routine is…

I wake up at around 8.30am, take my Active Iron supplement to provide my energy for the day, jump in the ice bath for three minutes, and then I have breakfast. Once breakfast is done, I walk the dog, come home and do my online programming and coaching. Then it’s lunch and off to training. I train for about three hours, and after that, it’s time to unwind and recover.

My biggest sporting goal is…

To become an Olympic Champion.

Sports brands I love (Irish or otherwise)…

Active Iron – keeping me healthy and my energy levels high.

Reign – when I have a heavy session you need that extra caffeine boost.

Tala – I love how sustainable they are with their choices for making clothes but also the quality and look is amazing.

Biggest splurge to celebrate a win…

A nice dinner out somewhere followed by cocktails. Just time around loved ones to celebrate is always the best.

How do you mind your mental health?

I recently started going to dance classes so that I have a hobby because weightlifting is now my job and I wanted to have something and somewhere where I was just Sarah rather than Sarah the weightlifter. I love the new challenge and the friends it has brought me. I think as an athlete it can be too easy to get fully wrapped up in the sport so when it doesn’t go well in training, you can easily spiral downwards. Having something that reminds you that you still have an identity without sport is really important.

My three desert island beauty products are:

Active Iron, toothpaste, suncream! I love getting glammed up but day-to-day I don’t really wear any makeup or do much with my hair so I’d be quite happy with just three things.

I need 9 hours of sleep a night because….

Sleep is what makes you strong. That’s when your muscles grow. You can train as hard as you want but if you’re not sleeping you won’t recover and won’t get stronger!

Confidence, to me, is…

Knowing you’re doing everything you possibly can to be the best version of yourself. If you know you’re not giving something your best you won’t feel confident in yourself.

How do you get over a bad performance?

Often I take the time to spend around loved ones to just remind myself who I am. I’m still a girlfriend, a friend, a daughter, a sister and an auntie whether I perform my best or not. Then once I’ve grounded myself, it’s back into the gym to work hard and make my weaknesses my new strengths!

Lastly, why is sport such an integral part of community, on a club, local, national and personal level?

I think sport has always been a pillar to many communities and across the world. The Tokyo Olympics really showed that. The world had collectively suffered from the pandemic which brought everyone together in a mutual understanding and then to be able to celebrate the ending of the worst part of the pandemic with the biggest sport spectacle there is was truly amazing. Sport has, and in my opinion always will have, the ability to bring people together regardless of their backgrounds. There aren’t many things that can do that.

This article was originally published in July 2023.