Life in the Fast Lane with Kirstie Gannaway and Braun Büffel

We speak to the boxer about the importance of slowing down and what it means to be mentally adaptable.

Pommes Small Hobo bag, Braun Büffel and Dress, JACQUEMUS via Net-A-Porter

Kirstie Gannaway is half Singaporean and half Australian, and she has spent most of her time boxing. Her training sessions are long and tough — any moment she is not committing to the sport, she tremendously ensures her focus is on the game. Below, we speak to Gannaway about the importance of slowing down and what it means to be mentally adaptable.

Schedules for professional athletes are usually hectic and long. What is a typical day like for you and how do you take things slow while you are in the midst of a season?

A typical day for me as a professional boxer consists of two trainings a day, five to six days a week. My first training session is at 10 am and it is usually a strength and conditioning workout. I then have a few hours to eat, recover, rest and then go for the second training at 2.30 pm which is a boxing workout. I teach personal training sessions (boxing and Muay Thai) as well and so I will schedule some sessions in my free time. My day pretty much consists of teaching and training!

My ideal way to slow down and recharge is to travel. I find it’s the best way to break my routine and having a change of environment helps me to refresh. I love to eat good food, see animals/wildlife and be in nature, so my travels usually revolve around those things.

The off-season is one of the most important periods for an athlete as it allows them to recharge physically and mentally. What are your favourite activities to rest and recharge?

My favourite ways to rest and recharge are to travel, eat good food, make art (drawings and paintings), read and do some low-intensity training sessions. I absolutely love working out, so I still train during my time off. The only difference is that I try to tone down the intensity, with the intention to give my body some rest. Resting and catching up on sleep is another way I like to recharge. It sounds so simple, but after an intense training camp, it’s just nice to have time to relax and not do much.

These days, the mental and psychological aspects of professional sports are just as important as the physical side of it. How do you condition your mental well-being, especially during stressful periods in your sport?

Mental preparation is something I’ve been interested in since I turned pro in 2014. I often use my training sessions as ways to identify things I struggle with mentally and to develop my mental strength. I practise recognising my state of mind and how I’m feeling in practice.

I have the bad days where I struggle to perform, or might not be feeling so great. I find that being aware and honest with myself about how I’m feeling (whether it’s good or bad) helps a lot. That way, I can accept what it is and then just remind myself it will be for a moment that I will pass over and be stronger for it. Something I tell myself on days I’m not feeling great is to imagine that was the night of a fight; I would need to find it in me to make it work and perform, so why not practise that during training?

Lately, I’ve been really into playing sudoku. I find it challenging in that it tests my patience, and helps me to improve my concentration and thinking skills. To be a good boxer, it is important to not get overwhelmed by emotions, to stay focused and to problem solve, so I find this is a great way to improve on that aspect of it.

Defeats are part of sports. How do you process defeat and get yourself ready for the next challenge?

I'm not going to lie, it’s not easy dealing with a loss, especially when you’ve made a lot of sacrifices and put a lot of effort into having a good outcome. Ultimately, I believe it is a good reminder to separate one’s ego from what we do. I do my best to use losses as a way to motivate me to want to train harder and smarter, not leaving any room for it to happen again. Losses will be part of the journey for an athlete. As for myself, I don’t put my focus there. There is only so much within our control, and at the end of the day, I make sure to put my effort into training my best and learning to become a better person along the way too. These values will always be more important to me than a win or a loss.

What is one goal you set for yourself in your career this year?

My goal for this year as a professional boxer is to win my first title in boxing; that was my goal before Covid hit so there was that setback, but now I believe it is my time and I’m excited about it!

Apart from that, it is to continue to share knowledge about the sport, and the positive benefits of training and living a healthy lifestyle. I plan to make more content to share with people, to make boxing techniques and exercises more available for anyone that might want to try them. Boxing changed my life for the better, and I want to share that knowledge in hopes for others to improve their lifestyles as well.

Lastly, what do you think of the bag you’re paired with today?

What I like about the bag I was paired with today is the classic, yet functional design. I’m not one to carry big bags around as well and so I’m really digging the size. I’m all about shopping for classic pieces that have a lot of versatility. I find pieces like that work as a great staple in anyone's closet, and a bonus is it's a great piece to go from day to night.