Colin O'Shaughnessy, Ireland

A Natural Competitor WIns New Fighting Fitness

I have been competing in kickboxing and Taekwondo for many years and have won Gold Medals at World Level Events including World Championships and held two Irish Kickboxing Titles. I always fought in the Super Heavyweight category over 94 kilograms so I never had to watch my food or weight - or so I thought!

I knew I could do better
I was a good fighter, but I always felt I could do better. In November 2001 I dropped a weight category in order to take a place on the Irish Team going to the European Championships in Italy. I fought at 94 kilograms and I felt very strong and much healthier. I had dropped about 6 kilos for this event mainly by eating proper foods and avoiding junk food. I had previously thought that I would only fight at this weight for a short time but I began to get ideas!

Help to succeed was at hand
I decided to drop another weight category down to 89 kilos, a further 5 kilos, because I felt that I would be healthier and stronger. In January of 2002 I saw a Herbalife distributor in a local shop and asked him for some products because I felt I was going to need some help to drop the further weight. He obliged. Within 6 weeks I was down to my new weight.

I competed to win the 89 kilo national kickboxing title. I felt really strong at the new weight and unlike other athletes who had to dehydrate and starve themselves to make their weight, I was sipping my Formula 1 shake and brimming with energy at the weigh in!

I went from strength to strength
From this good start, I flew to Greece in May 2002 and won the WPKA World 88.5 kilogram World Title. Despite the heat and the intense competition, I was overflowing with energy and used the products all the way through the competition.

I won a bronze medal at the WAKO World Cup in June, which is one of the hardest open tournaments in the world. The heat of the June climate in Italy did not affect me either, as I was nourished and hydrated by my diet. I went on to win another bronze medal in the WAKO European Championships in November,which gave me an overall World Top Ten ranking at the end of the year.

In February 2003 I organised and starred in the first World Kickboxing Title fight to be staged in my hometown of Cork, Ireland. In front of a packed arena and National Television, I won convincingly. I was unable to compete in the WPKA World Kickboxing Championships in Greece this year because I did not have the travel funds. I travelled so much last year that my reserves were spent. My next tournament is in Italy in June - the WAKO World CUp.

The old adage, "You are what you eat" applies especially to athletes
It is my ambition to win all the Kickboxing World Titles that are in existence. Kickboxing, like boxing, has a number of World Bodies and it is my aim to unite them. I also wish to unite the Tae-kwon-do World bodies by winning their different titles as well.

The old adage of "you are what you eat" is very true. It applies specially to athletes. I am a skilled fighter, but Herbalife Sports Nutrition has given me a platform to use my skills to the highest level.

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