This week on Sparta Chicks Radio you’ll meet Ally Orr.
Ally brings a unique perspective to the podcast; she is both a competitive Jiu-Jitsu player and an Exercise and Sports Scientist.
A talented musician growing up in regional NSW, Ally moved to Sydney at 16 to attend music school.
Not long after, her then-boyfriend introduced her to strength training and weight lifting - and the rest, as they say, is history.
She then found the sport of Judo before moving onto Jiu-Jitsu and has won (amongst other things) the lightweight Pan Pacific Championship and earlier this year, she became Australian Champion in the 60kg division.
At about the same time she discovered her love of combat sports, Ally transferred her studies from music to Exercise and Sports Science. She now lives in Newcastle and works at Better Being as a PT and Exercise Scientist.
In this conversation Ally and I discuss:
* how she transitioned from studying music to exercise and sport science,
* where her love of exercise and movement came from (given that she wasn’t an active or sporty kid)
* what she loves about the sport of Jiu-Jitsu and the common misconceptions about it,
* the personal power that grows in women when they are physically strong,
* how she manages the fear of being physically hurt
* the female athlete triad and why it’s common in combat sports
* the impact of needing to ‘cut weight’ to compete in your weight division and the impact of that on body image and mental health,
* whether you can maintain a healthy body image in a sport that requires you to cut or reduce your weight,
* the importance of having the right support network around you
* the 3 biggest misconceptions she hears that undermine women’s health and performance,
* why strength training is important for women, not just for our sport but for our health throughout our life,
* how to find ways to incorporate recovery into your busy life, and
* her experience with the Imposter Complex, the importance of leaning on your community and why you should believe the good things that people say about you.
Click here to listen on iTunes.
Notes and resources:
To find out more about Ally or to say hello, you can find her on Instagram at @allyally_ally or @betterbeingpt.