Sarah Donohue is a multiple National and European powerboat

Profile
N
o Regrets
o Fears!
And
Sarah Donohue is a multiple National and European powerboat racing
champion. She is also regarded as one of Britains fittest women.
BE PREPARED TO BE AMAZED!
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COMPILED BY GEOFF EVANS | PHOTOS BY ROBERT TURI
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REASON FOR
STARTING TRAINING:
I had a racing crash in Italy during the
European Championships in 1999. I
broke and dislocated my shoulder, broke
my wrist, arm, five ribs, fractured my
skull and nearly drowned. I was pulled
out of the wreckage, resuscitated and
was hooked up to a life-support
machine after my heart stopped. I had
titanium plates in my jaw to hold it
together and I couldn’t eat solids or talk
properly for six months. I was skinny
and weak and was in a lot of pain for a
long time. My face had drooped like I’d
had a stroke due to severed facial nerves
and I could barely move let alone train; I
had the choice to feel sorry for myself,
or get back in the saddle!
EFFECTS TRAINING HAS
HAD ON YOUR LIFE:
After my crash, I believe that without
the rehabilitation and the gruelling
sessions my trainer Mark puts me
through, I would be nothing like the
woman I am now. I live with no regrets
and no fears. It’s a miracle I am alive so
the Doctors say. So every training
session, I train like it’s my last because
the truth is, we never know when our
last one will be. To me it’s
my battleground. My muscle endurance is second to none. And I look and
feel better than I looked when I was 20.
GYM CURRENTLY TRAINS AT:
David Lloyd in Kidbrooke, London
ENTERED FIRST
COMPETITION IN:
2004, Miss Galaxy,
Tampa Florida 4th Place
SUBSEQUENT
COMPETITIONS:
2005, 1st Superbody Challenge USA
2006, 3rd Las Vegas – Women’s
Tri-Fitness,‘Fitness Skills’
2006, 2nd Tampa, Florida – Women’s
Tri-Fitness, ‘Fitness Skills’
2007, 3rd Las Vegas – Women’s
Tri-Fitness,‘Fitness Skills’
2007, 2nd Tampa, Florida – Women’s
Tri-Fitness, ‘Fitness Skills’
2008, 3rd Las Vegas – Women’s
Tri-Fitness,‘Fitness Skills’
2008, 1st Tampa, Florida – Women’s
Tri-Fitness, ‘Fitness Skills’
2010, 1st Tampa, Florida – Women’s TriFitness, ‘Fitness Skills’
2010, 2nd Tampa, Florida – Women’s
Tri-Fitness ‘Grace & Physique’
HIGHLIGHTS OF
CAREER TO-DATE:
Every time I hear the whistle blow, the
timer shout, or taking the first step on
stage. Knowing the dedication to every
discipline I have trained for has paid off.
DISAPPOINTMENTS/
SET-BACKS:
In late November 2008 after winning in
Tampa. I was seriously injured whilst
filming in South America. My hamstring
was ripped from my ischial tuberosity. It
now sits 7 cm below where it should be,
so I have a massive strength deficit in
my left leg. It has taken two years for
recovery and unless I do short sprints
every other day. My knee and ankle
flexors forget how to work.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST
ABOUT COMPETITIONS/
COMPETING?
The adrenaline rush when my name is
called out for one of the disciplines is
like being on the start line of a Powerboat race. This is the time when it could
all go horribly wrong. It makes me feel
sick and I love the
SNAPSHOT
NAME: Sarah Donohue
NICKNAME: Warchild
BIRTHDATE: 9th August,
1970
BIRTHPLACE: Saddleworth,
Oldham, Lancs.
CURRENTLY LIVES IN:
London
HEIGHT: 5’ 7”
CONTEST WEIGHT: 129
pounds
OFFSEASON WEIGHT: 136
pounds
MARITAL STATUS: Single
OCCUPATION: Offshore
Powerboat Racer and TriFitness Athlete.
HOBBIES: Racing
Powerboats/weight training.
OTHER INTERESTS:
Writing for Powerboat
magazines.
STARTED TRAINING IN:
Serious training began
in 2001
huttle
eness S
s Tri-Fit
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e
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stress it causes. I like the feeling that
losing is always in the mix and the
endorphins rush through me to the
point of near panic.
WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE MOST
ABOUT COMPETITIONS/
COMPETING?
When my competition number is ‘196’.
It means that there are 195 girls before
me !
ROLE MODELS/INSPIRATION:
My parents
PHYSIQUES YOU ADMIRE:
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton (Sarah Connor in Terminator),
Mariusz Pudzianowski
YOUR BEST BODYPART:
Shoulders
SHORT-TERM GOALS:
I’ve lost two years of competing
through rehabilitation, so now I’ve just
won my first competition back, I want to
enjoy not working my leg so hard in
rehab day after day.
LONG-TERM GOALS:
I worked as one of the fitness advisors
on the Trisha show on Channel 5, and
wrote for several health magazines, so
more of that in the future would be
great. Also full-time personal training.
I’ve spent a lot of time observing
people in many different gyms, and
the standard of ‘safe’ training can
often be lacking in members, with no
staff actually on hand to show them
the correct form which I find a
concern. And often, even PT skill can
be lacking, many with little experience
or credibility to be able to back up
their position. I think a trainer should
not only look the part, but ideally have
history in a sport or competition.
Especially if their clients are paying top
dollar to make considerable gains/
changes. I appreciate seeing a trainer
working their client hard, safely
pushing limits, as this is where the best
gains are made, but this is far too
infrequent. I’d also like to set up the
competitions I do in the USA, in the UK.
It would make great reality TV whilst
encouraging more women into many
different skills of fitness from age 18 to
50 plus!
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Because my competitions are athletic/
assault course based as well as physique,
I do four big training days a week.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
All training is super/giant set based and
this is where I get my endurance from. I
also do a small amount of short
repetitive sprints every other day for
rehabilitation.
I always train shoulders on a Monday,
it’s my favourite to start the week! I then
split back/biceps the next day, and take
Wednesday off. I work chest/triceps
Womens Tri-F
iteness
Box Jumps
together and then
at the end of the
week, a monster
leg session, legs are
almost just one big
giant set that lasts
for an hour. Mark
shows me no mercy.
Four weeks out of
competition I add
hing
iteness Benc
light cardio (light for
Womens Tri-F
me) 45 minutes
so that helps keep ours a drug free sport.
Saturday and Sunday
That is a good thing for us.
of 40 second sprints/20 seconds rest
from 10 kph increasing speed in 0.5
WHO HAS HELPED/SUPPORT
increments until I hit my limit, then I
YOU IN YOUR CAREER?
reduce back down.
My trainer Mark Jarvis, (ex-para reg
PTI) who has been with me through all
TRAINING PARTNER:
Mark Jarvis my personal trainer. I don’t my rehabilitation when I have been at
my lowest. Without Mark, I couldn’t be
train with anyone else as we have set
as good at what I do. He’s my rock and I
routines.
wouldn’t change him for anything.
HINTS/TIPS YOU WOULD
LIKE TO PASS ON:
Plyometric work is a must. This may not
be great for those looking to bulk up, but
if you want to cut up quickly, or if you
are in a sport like mine which has an
element of bodybuilding, but also track
and field based (over three days), then
this will put you on a podium for sure.
Sarah with her trainer Mark Jarvis
FAVOURITE EXERCISE:
Weighted Plyometric giant sets until my
lungs almost explode. I do up to 220
reps in a set.
FAVOURITE MUSIC:
LEAST-FAVOURITE
EXERCISE:
(to train to) Pop music 80’s style!
cheat meal would be a thin crust pizza
for example. But the final 2 weeks there
will be no cheat meals. I must weigh in at
no more than 129.2 lbs to hit my benching
weight category.
FAVOURITE FOOD:
FAVOURITE RECIPE:
Chin-ups
TRAITS YOU ADMIRE MOST
IN OTHERS:
Discipline, perseverance, honesty and
loyalty.
TRAITS YOU ADMIRE MOST
IN YOURSELF:
Discipline, perseverance, honesty and
loyalty.
FAVOURITE WAY TO RELAX:
I don’t really relax, I’m scared of
missing something!
FAVOURITE T.V.
PROGRAMME:
Dexter
FAVOURITE FILM:
Full Metal Jacket
FAVOURITE ACTORS:
Sylvester Stallone, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Nicolas Cage and John
Malkovich.
FAVOURITE ACTRESSES:
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Sigourney Weaver and Hilary Swank.
(to relax to) Classical
FAVOURITE MUSIC:
Indian, Chicken Pathia.
FAVOURITE TREAT FOOD:
Toffee Crisp
DIET PLAN:
I religiously have porridge every
breakfast and I eat fish or red meat every
day with a mixed salad and jacket potato.
I’m a big eater, so I have a huge meal in
the evening, and throughout the day I eat
high protein snacks almost continuously,
such as chicken breast or lean ham and
beef slices. My metabolic rate is very fast
so I find it hard to retain weight. I only
start counting fat/pro/carbs/cals 8 weeks
out of competition. Carb watching at 8
weeks at 120 g a day/6 weeks 90 g a day/4
weeks 60 g a day or less. The last 4 weeks
I cannot consume more than 1200
calories a day, 900 is my target in the last
2 weeks. I also have a cheat meal once a
week. Without the cheat meal, my body
doesn’t respond to diet as I want it to. A
Sesame seared tuna with Chinese
vegetables.
FAVOURITE PLACE TO
EAT OUT:
Pizza Express because it feels naughty,
but their chicken salads are great.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
USED:
I’m with Team Reflex and swear by their
Whey Refresh drinks-Rhubarb is
yummy, Green Tea Supplement and
whey protein powder. 3 months out, I
use Reflex ‘One-Stop’, an ‘all in one’
muscle building supplement giving me
everything I need in one hit.
HOW DO YOU STAY FOCUSED
AND MOTIVATED?
Knowing that if I don’t place, it’s not
because there are better athletes, it’s
because I haven’t focused, and I would
be letting myself and my trainer down.
TRAINING PROGRAMME:
e
ault Cours
eness Ass
it
-F
ri
T
s
Women
ADVICE YOU WOULD LIKE TO
OFFER TO ANYONE
BEGINNING BODYBUILDING:
Be realistic with what you can achieve
with the genetics you have been given.
Some days it can look like there is no
change but roll with it. Don’t be afraid
to ask advice. Other peoples knowledge
can be golden.
WHAT OTHER AVENUE OF
SPORT WOULD YOU HAVE
LIKED TO PURSUE IF NOT IN
BODYBUILDING?
MMA/Boxing or being a Decathlete
as I like the multi-disciplines.
Several days of competition has
always appealed to me as well.
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION
ON DRUG TESTING IN
THE SPORT?
In Women’s Tri-Fitness, the
judges look for feminine firmness
and competitors can be marked
down for excessive muscularity,
HOW DO YOU THINK THE
ORDINARY MAN IN THE
STREET VIEWS BODYBUILDING AND BODYBUILDERS?
I think people don’t understand
bodybuilding. The discipline, the
attention to detail, the perfect formula
of diet and training, the art that has
been sculpted over years/months of
dedication. Whether drug free or not,
it’s one of the toughest and underappreciated sports in the world. They
often look at men with admiration but
look at the bigger girls as freak shows,
wondering why a girl would want to
look that big, forgetting that they look
muscular because they are athletes. It’s
not for fun, it’s no fun being dehydrated
and carb depleted but the rewards are
great.
CONTACT DETAILS FOR
GUEST POSING/SEMINARS/
LETTERS, ETC:
I’m available for fitness challenges at
shows/exhibitions which work on a
power to weight ratio and continuous
repetition. Men or women can step up
to the mark, it’s a lot of fun but hard
work. I am also available for hosting and
motivational speaking: www.sarahdonohue.com or through:
www.bigbang.co.uk M&F
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