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Athlete Lieja Tunks's tips for balanced living
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Canadian shot putter Lieja Tunks shares some wisdom on walking the balance beam between work, life, family and staying focused on her dreams.
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By Natalie Bahadur
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Lieja Tunks is one of those women who manages to do it all. She's a mother to a two-year-old daughter, she's the wife of an Olympic athlete and is on her way to becoming a Canadian Olympic athlete herself someday.
Tunks didn't qualify to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, but every great athlete suffers their losses. In her attempts to be a member of Canada's track and field shotput team, Tunks showed passion and determination and that's plenty to be proud of! As a mother and a determined athlete, it's pretty safe to say that she's got her hands full. So how does she manage to balance it all? We checked in with her to find out.
Homemakers.com: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Lieja Tunks: I am originally from Holland. I am 32 years old and have been doing track almost all my life. When I was eight years old, my parents wanted me to pick a sport and since I had no idea what I was good at or liked to do, I picked track and field because of the different events: running, jumping, throwing. I did not see myself doing any team sports, not because I am anti-social, but more because I wanted to be responsible for my own performance. I do not like to deal with teammates who don't feel like performing, are lazy, etc.
Track seemed like the right choice from the start. I won a silver medal in my first meet and was a good runner and hurdler. Then I continued doing heptathlon (a competition of seven events such as javelin, high jump, shot put, etc.) and when I was 18 years old, I qualified for my first international team (World Juniors) in the shot put. From then on, I mainly focused on the throws.
I met my husband Jason in 2001 on the circuit and moved to Canada in 2002. In 2006, I sat out for a season due to my pregnancy and that was a good time to change allegiance. I am now a Canadian and am eligible to compete for Canada.
Homemakers.com: How do you find the motivation to get up and go to the gym or train on days when you'd really rather stay in bed?
LT: I never really have that feeling. There are days that I am sore, but in the end I am the one responsible for my performances and don't want to regret any sessions I missed or should have done.
Homemakers.com: How often do you train?
LT: I train twice daily Monday through Friday, once on Saturday and I take Sundays off.
Homemakers.com: What do you do when you need a little "me" time?
LT: I don't need much "me" time. I love to spend time at home with my daughter, husband and dog. There are times when I would love to get a pedicure, a haircut or something like that, but those happen once or twice a year and that is satisfying enough.
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