Hard work and determination pays off for Eoin Maginn

Rathfriland Community Centre want to extend a huge congratulations to Eoin Maginn on his achievement of winning the 2021 NIFMA Mr Athlete Under 18 Age Class. Eoin is a regular user of the gym at Rathfriland and the gym team at the centre have been so impressed with his strong determination to achieve his goal and his constant strive for improvement. Getactiveabc caught up with Eoin and, in his own words, he recounted the experience of the training regime and his delight when the hard work paid off and he won first prize!

I’ve always had a passion for fitness. I did some boxing when I was younger but, after breaking my elbow at age 14, I was no longer able to train. Instead of sitting around waiting until I recovered from my injury, I decided to start working out at my local gym at Rathfriland Community Centre. The gym had equipment that was easy to use and get the hang of. I started off by doing cardio only and, as I began to recover, I moved to training using machines, and then free weights.

The lockdown began a year into training but I continued to train at home and tried my best to keep my diet in check. The gym was renovated during lockdown so, on returning, I was delighted to see that there was a massive new range of equipment and machines to use to advance my training. 

After the second lockdown in June, Kenny, one of the gym instructors, asked if I would be interested in doing a fitness model show in November. I was a bit unsure at first but decided I would do it to challenge myself. I had four months to get ‘show ready’ so I prioritised my training and started practising posing.

Kenny and all the other gym staff at Rathfriland really helped and motivated me. They gave me training and diet advice. I trained 4-6 days a week and prioritised higher protein foods while decreasing my calories and increasing cardio to get leaner. The hardest part was trying to balance school, my part time job and training while at the same time staying consistent with my diet, It was worth it when show day came. I managed to win the NIFMA Virtual Mr Athletic Under 18 Age Class and was just so delighted!