As well as pulling her weight in her studies on her Nursing degree, Keira Gilchrist is also throwing her weight around in a bid to win a medal at the Tug of War World Championships with her team.
Keira, aged 18, who is in her first year at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), has been selected to compete in the World Championships for England in the women's tug of war category this August.
She is heading for the Tug of War International Federation’s Championships in Sursee, Switzerland, following a series of national competitions, run by the English Tug of War Association, which kick off in Bridlington in mid-June.
“I’m really excited about taking part in both the nationals and the world championships,” she said. “It’s my first year of serious competition in the sport and I’m looking forward to travelling to the British and Irish legs of the contest, before going on to the world final.”
Keira, who lives on her parents’ sheep farm in Melton Mowbray, weighs in at just 58 kilograms. She is a member of a team of 13 women training for world championship status through the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF).
Keira fourth from left, taking part in her Tug of War team
She said: “All the members of the team are regularly weighed to make sure that all of us are a stipulated weight to keep the balance on the rope for the full team.
“The TWIF organises world championships for nation teams biannually, for both indoor and outdoor contests and a similar competition for club teams. To do this sport, you need to keep very fit and at present I’m training 24/7 to keep my weight down to a set weight to compete.
“We also do a lot of fundraising for the sport to pay for kit and trips to competitions, as in other countries this sport is funded - so we try to do as much as we can.
“I pull in the second position from the front, which means I have to get down low to add pressure to the rope and keep it in control, while staying on the sides of my feet keeping the pressure of my body weight off the ground with my leg strength.”
Front far left, in a team photo
Despite having to be on a constant diet and suffering from blisters and callouses on her hands from gripping the rope during the demanding sport, Keira is hooked on the pastime.
“I love it,” Keira enthused. “I train three times a week after my lectures at DMU, doing a range of exercises to build up my strength. You have to be really committed to succeed.”
Keira also spends weekends competing around the country, joining in local competitions- where her team has so far won several cups.
“Friends have said to me that they can’t believe I take part in tug of war sports as I am quite small,” Keira added. “But I’ve built up my strength doing weight-lifting and grip training - which involves gripping a rod like a broom handle to build up my hand grip.”
As well as the tug of war competitions, Keira has a busy schedule ahead, with nursing placements coming up at local hospitals as part of her training.
“I’ve already completed a placement in holistic care and outpatients at Leicester General Hospital and still have one more to go this year, in gynaecology,” she said. “I’m really enjoying the training and my placements, but I’m not due to finish my nursing course until 2026, so I haven’t made my mind up yet about which area of nursing I’d like to go into.”
When Keira is not attending lectures at DMU or tugging ropes, she finds time to help out on the family farm and attend Young Farmers events around the county.
Posted on Monday 19 June 2023