Boxing coach Issy O’Neill shares how she powers through her busy days

Issy O’Neill may have grown up in a fitness-loving family, but her career as a boxing coach came about quite by accident. 

“I played hockey all through primary and secondary school which fuelled my competitive nature. When I got older, I started to become interested in training with a purpose – I started registering in long distance races (1 marathon and 3 half marathons) so that I had a goal date, but I had never boxed before until I was in college,” Issy explains.

“I did Agricultural Science in UCD and it was a tradition that students from Ag would do a charity boxing fight against Vet students. I didn’t know at the time, but the fight camp was run by Headon Boxing Academy, where I later became a Head Coach. I signed up for this fight camp with absolutely zero experience and began my training.”

She says that it was partly how challenging boxing was that appealed to her. “I’d like to say that I was a natural, and took to it like a duck to water, but that would be a lie. It was just one of those things that, because I wasn’t great at it, I needed to practice until I got it right. Since then, I’ve worked hard, learned from my colleagues, peers, and used social media as a useful tool to develop my boxing skills.”

Although planning to join Headon as a member after the fight, Issy in fact started working for them, and has worked full-time as a head coach since April 2022. It’s a career with lots of variety, as she coaches classes across three of Headon’s five studios – Sandyford & Leopardstown, Ballsbridge and Churchtown. 

“My days are made up of a combination of classes, personal training, administrative/operational work behind the scenes and I also help out with the social media marketing tasks. I usually coach morning classes, so a lot of my days are a 7am start (sounds early but you just get used to it!). I also coach a lot of evening classes which usually begin at around 5pm.”

Bouncing about the city between different locations, Issy really appreciated the Peugeot i-Cockpit, with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. “I like listening to the radio, but I love podcasts,” she says. “I don’t mind sitting in traffic if I’m listening to an entertaining and hilarious podcast. It was so handy having my own personal Spotify displayed on the Wireless Apple CarPlay so that I could flick through whichever episode I wanted.”

Although her days are long and busy, Issy says they are incredibly rewarding. “One of the best parts of the job, in my opinion, is having members come in after a potentially stressful day at work, putting them through a tough workout so that hopefully they walk away feeling better than when they came in.

“My favourite class to teach is LIFT – a fantastic class if you’re getting into lifting weights and want to get fit and strong. I have a huge passion to teach strength and conditioning-style workouts as I am a qualified personal trainer.”

Issy says that she personally has gained so much from strength training. “Building muscle not only enhances your current fitness but also supports longevity in exercising for several years so it’s important to work on it now. Strength training for young women has a huge role in fostering a sense of confidence and self-esteem. I firmly believe that feeling strong on the outside often mirrors how you feel about yourself on the inside.”

And as if boxing wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Issy also spends her time trail running, and participating in Hyrox. “I started trail running in the summer and I am obsessed, particularly because I can bring my dog Monty with me,” she says. “I love Ticknock Trail – with mixed terrain of woodland, trail and path, the views at the top are so worth it. The Leadmines Trail is a good one as well, beware it’s very steep at the start but it’s more enclosed than Ticknock so it’s better for Monty. I recently brought Monty to the Vartry Reservoir Trail in Roundwood, and I really enjoyed it. It’s mostly flat but has gorgeous views over the reservoir.”

Hyrox is also a relatively recent addition to her routine. “A friend of mine introduced me to Hyrox about a year and a half ago and I’ve been hooked ever since, “ she says. “Hyrox is a combination of running with a mixture of functional fitness tests. The course is set up so that you can run 1km around the circumference of what looks like a giant, adult sized obstacle course made up of 8 stations. If you saw an image of a Hyrox course for the first time, you’d think you were looking at a map of a waterpark!

“After training for a while I realised that I was decent at the running part so fast forward to March 2024, I completed my first Hyrox competition in Malaga, Spain. Since then, I’ve completed another competition in Amsterdam, and only recently in Dublin and plan to do more next year. These competitions have allowed me to push beyond what I thought I could do, which I’m very proud of.

“What I love about Hyrox is that it’s so accessible to anyone who wants to give it a go. It’s very much a test of overall functional fitness and doesn’t favour a certain skill. My Dad has recently joined some class in Chapter 2 Fitness and he’s loving them. I also have a gorgeous group of friends that I train with and travel to competitions with and hopefully in 2025 we will continue to do that.”

With so many different activities on the go, Issy loved the Peugeot 3008’s keyless entry with “proximity” locking and unlocking. “I’m the type of person who always has two bags, one jumper, one coat and a laptop in my hand when leaving the house or work. Not having to fish into my pocket to grab my keys, hoping I haven’t dropped my lunch into a puddle, was a genuine luxury!”

She also found it easy and convenient to use the electric charging when she was out and about. “I found the electric charging very easy to use and was delighted to drive in a more environmentally friendly way,” she says. “Charging doesn’t take too long and is very user friendly. The range is always displayed inside the car so you can see when the next charge is needed.”

And although you might wonder how she stays motivated with so many different types of exercise in her schedule, Issy explains that it’s all about finding something you’re passionate about. “Time is so valuable, so I highly recommend choosing a sport or exercising routine that you genuinely enjoy. If you’ve discovered you are dreading going to training and you’re not enjoying it, it might be time to try something new, so that the time you do spend exercising is always time you’re looking forward to. 

“Another way of staying motivated is having a gym buddy. This is someone who enjoys the same workouts as you and can encourage you to show up on the days you’re lacking in motivation. Lastly, it may sound simple but choosing an outfit that makes you feel strong and confident can instantly boost your motivation. I find myself leaning on this strategy more often than I’d like to admit, but it truly works!”

To learn more about the Peugeot 3008, head to peugeot.ie.