4 Irish female sports stars on what confidence means to them

As part of our Women in Sport series, we speak to a myriad of female sports stars on everything from their earliest memories and proudest achievements, to common misconceptions and recovering after a bad performance.

We rounded up some stand-out answers from our contributors departing their two cents on the subject.

Read on to hear from these spectacular women in sport…

“Being grateful for what I have and finding meaning in everyday life. Confidence is an ongoing process that is worked on through good habits, and I believe that surrounding yourself with people that believe in you is a huge help.”

— Mayo GAA & Collingwood AFLW athlete Sarah Rowe

“Loving what you do. Enjoying taking part and getting to play in big matches where you can test all your skills at the highest level. It is believing in something and backing yourself to complete the task/ goal. Confidence is also developed through practice and repetition!”

— Dublin GAA player Carla Rowe

“Confidence can mean so much in so many different ways! In sport, it’s having the ability to give your best effort at any given time. Knowing that if you need to push harder, you can. Confidence is believing in your ability and the training effort you have put in. Confidence is also being happy and comfortable in yourself.”

— Irish Elite Boxer Aoife O Rourke

“Being happy and content in my own skin! As someone who used to be less confident in the past, I value how important it is to be confident in yourself and value your qualities as a person. Knowing your self-worth can not be underestimated as it can relate to so many aspects of life (work/ relationships etc).”

— Irish distance runner Grace Lynch