1) Who is Aurora Gallacher? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I am originally from a small town by the seaside but been living in Stirling now for 7 years. I manage autism services full time when not at the gym. Mostly my hobbies include doing crossfit and when time allows catching up with friends.. Important to have that down time when not working or training.
2) How many years have you been training?
Since 2014 I started doing bootcamp then found Crossfit end of 2014 and never looked back. I kind of dipped in and out while at uni in between the partying and studying but I started to train more seriously summer 2016.
3) Whats been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
Finding the balance and being able to juggle everything. On the plus side my time management skills are so much better now!
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
I typically train 5 days a week and 1 day more active recovery. 3 days I will do a double session and 2 days will be single training days. This isn't set though and I use my body as a gage to how I'm feeling and adapt my training based on feel. No point going in and putting in half effort when you can rest and hit the next training session harder.
My diet is pretty flexible to be honest. I follow macros which vary based on the training of that day, I do generally eat well but if I want a treat I won't restrict myself as long as I hit my macro targets and it keeps me sane having this flexibility.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
I think I have learned to focus on the basics this year and that its ok to strip back technique and work on skills in order to develop as an athlete. The boring work that you think is a waste of time will pay off massively in the long run.
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
STRAWBERRY PAVLOVA.. every single time. I do have a sweet tooth its my down fall. My favourite meal is fajitas but thats not a treat as such I have them every week and can be pretty macro friendly as long as you don't drown them in cheese.
7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without?
I take omega 3 and vitamin D. Through work health professionals would rave about vit D and it was never something I consider but since we never get sun in scotland I started taking this and definitely notice a difference in how I feel.
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
Focus on diet first and make sure I am not over eating. Before I tried to follow paleo and would eat lots of foods that were "clean" but high in fat and would never lose weight. I would educate myself more on diet and find what suited me. I would also work on the basics from the beginning rather than trying to jump 3 steps ahead without having the proper technique.
9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?
I don't really have anyone I look up to per-say. I like Kara Webb as she can have a laugh at herself and it always looks like she is enjoying herself and I like that she is still able to do that while being such a high level competitor. I also am a sucker for a transformation post as I love to see the desire and commitment people have to achieving goals. I always find this inspiring.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
Set measurable goals for yourself and set yourself targets it will make you more accountable. Make these goals achievable because if you aim too high to start you are more likely to fail. Many mini goals while working towards a bigger goal would be a better approach I think.
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
I would like to develop in my career and specialise in behaviour analysis particularly with individuals with autism to help develop the right support for them. I have also moved gyms recently and training towards seeing how far I can keep pushing in regards to crossfit and competing. I might step back on the weightlifting platform again this year too!! But mostly I want to continue to be healthy and happy and enjoy what I do.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
@auroragallacher12
