Michelle Guillemard: Thanks so much for speaking to us today Torah; it’s a pleasure to have you!
Torah Bright: You’re welcome.
MG: So tell us, how important is good nutrition when you’re preparing for a competition?
TB: For me, nutrition is the most important thing in every day life. Not only just when I’m preparing for an important competition, but also down to the supplements I take and the meals I eat.
MG: Which vitamins and supplements do you take?
TB: I always take omega-3s, and sometimes proteins and amino acids – all sorts of things really!
MG: Are there certain foods that you prefer to eat leading up to an event?
TB: Well, one isn’t very healthy! Once before an event my brother cooked me something and I won the event, so now we say he has to cook it every night before an event … pan-fried chicken strips.
MG: So that’s your secret weapon?
TB: Maybe – I reckon it’s weighing me down more than anything!
MG: Speaking of events, are you working towards a big event at the moment?
TB: I don’t think I’m going to be competing [during the southern hemisphere winter] so I’m really just using this time to gear up and prepare for the northern hemisphere winter. I’ll start competing for my first event in December.
MG: How does all of this travelling around the world for competitions and events impact your diet and lifestyle?
TB: It’s very hard to stay healthy on the road. You’ll be travelling somewhere from the airport to a mountain for ten hours, so you’re eating petrol station food a lot, and sometimes you just have to take what you get. It’s definitely not the healthiest living style, but we do our best. We try not to eat out too often, and we’ll try and get places with our own kitchens so we’re able to cook our own meals.
MG: What about the off-season - if you’re not training, how do you stay fit and healthy?
TB: That’s usually the time I let myself go! It’s pretty much just trying to build my immune system back up and trying to stay active and in the gym. Of course I do the necessary work to keep my strength up, but also it’s about being active – I love tennis, soccer, rollerblading and running around with friends playing ultimate Frisbee.
MG: How do you prepare mentally before a big event?
TB: Mentally for me is knowing I am going to be able to compete to the best of my ability, because I know what I’m going to do when I go in there. I keep my mind in a place where I can just enjoy myself, and when I’m enjoying myself I get the most out of my riding.
MG: Let’s talk about running now. Why are you working with Blackmores and the Sydney Running Festival?
TB: Blackmores has always been involved in promoting a healthy active lifestyle. The Blackmores Sydney Running Festival is a great fun event that I’m really happy to be a part of, because its one for the amateur runner, the professional runner or just a fun day out for the family – that’s why I’m excited to be involved.
MG: Is this going to be your first fun run or have you done one before?
TB: No it’s my first. I’ve done runs at school, but this is my first big fun run.
MG: So how do you feel about competing with thousands of other runners and running across the Sydney Harbour Bridge?
TB: It’ll be amazing, because I’ve honestly only seen anything like it on TV, and the sights from the run will be pretty incredible – being able to run across the Harbour Bridge with no cars. I’m hoping to get all of my family members involved as well so we’ll get on the run together and I’ll be able to play with my little nieces afterwards. I hear there’s some pretty fun stuff going on in the Botanical gardens afterwards for the families.
MG: What do you miss most about life in Australia?
TB: Straight off the bat it’s the food – the food is so good! The fresh produce in particular, because you don’t get anything like it over here, and if you do it’s very hard to find. So that’s something I miss and relish in every time I’m home – I just eat so much because I love it! It’s also the family life there that I miss – my little nieces who grow up so much every time I get back to see them, my friends and also having access to a beach 40 minutes out of the city.
MG: Do you like to go to the beach a lot?
TB: I love it! When I’m home I’m always at the beach surfing or something…
MG: How do you find surfing after snowboarding – is it easy?
TB: It’s hard, so hard! I say I surf but I really don’t – I try to surf.
MG: What’s the best thing about life in Salt Lake City?
TB: The outdoors. You can be in the middle of nowhere in 20 minutes outside of the city which is kind of cool because you can still have that ‘country town’ feel, and in 20 minutes’ drive you’re back in the city and able to fly out to wherever you need to be next. The convenience of Salt Lake City is my favourite thing.
MG: If you weren’t a professional snowboarder what do you think you would be doing?
TB: I think of so many different things! I guess I like to fantasise about it. I used to say that I’d like to be a race car driver, or a florist…
MG: It’s a pretty hard question considering you already have the best job in the world!
TB: I know!
MG: You must have seen some interesting and funny situations out on the slopes – any funny stories?
TB: I saw a picture of a guy on the internet who was hanging off a chairlift in just his underwear by his ski pants so he was totally nude from the waist down – I wish I could have seen that in real life because that would have been something spectacular.
MG: How do you achieve your personal best in life?
TB: I think it really comes from my parents and family growing up. They always told me “everything you do, give it your best” and I really feel that’s how I started with snowboarding. I was just giving it my best and taking every opportunity I had, and then it has kind of ended here. I’ve just always wanted to be my best, not trying to beat anybody else out, and it becomes more enjoyable that way.
MG: What does staying healthy mean to you?
TB: Staying healthy is everything, especially with our society in the world today. Health and diets are looked over far too much. How we eat and need to eat is very important in my eyes.
You can support Torah as she helps raise funds for the McGrath Foundation to help place McGrath Breast Care Nurses into communities right across Australia as well as increasing breast awareness in younger women. To make a donation please visit:
www.gofundraise.com.au/TorahBright
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