Winning Tips From AFLW Star, Daisy Pearce

“It looks like chaos most of the time, but we try to mix as much adventure and fun into our busy lives as we can.

The day usually starts around 6am when Sylvie and Roy crawl in either side of me and start elbowing me in the ribs, and me begging them to stay horizontal for 5 more mins.

It’s usually their cries of “I’m hungry” that gets us out of bed as breakfast is definitely their favourite meal of the day. It’s also my favourite because it’s the one that is easiest in terms of getting nutritious food into them!

Sylvie and Roy’s current favourite is bircher muesli with Capilano Manuka honey, fresh fruit and yoghurt! I make up a batch and soak it overnight so it’s quick and easy first thing in the morning.

After breakfast we do the mad rush of getting dressed, packing lunches, cleaning teeth and getting ready for kinder or a day out and about exploring with our awesome babysitter Pip who arrives with just enough time for me to get out of my PJ’s and pack a serve of Bircher muesli with Capilano Manuka for myself to eat on my way to work!”

“I am still an athlete at heart (or I try to be!). I feel at my best when I have time to exercise and eat well.

When I was playing footy, I was lucky that keeping fit and being active was my job. It’s a little harder now to have a regular exercise routine but I do my best to fit in a run, gym session or spin session when I can, and I always feel so much better for it.

I try to remind myself that I always feel the benefit after moving my body, so something is always better than nothing! Other things that are important to my routine and feeling my best are sleep, eating good quality food and being around people that energise and inspire me to be my best.

The reality though is that I don’t always nail this routine. Sleep is often the first thing to go.  For some reason the time after the kids go down and the house is quiet is always when I’m feeling most productive and creative, so it sometimes eats into my optimal bedtime. When for whatever reason I am a bit out of whack my rescue remedy is to get out in nature. A swim in the ocean, a bike ride with the kids along the river or a wander through the bush – for me getting in nature is like a couple of hours sleep!“

“Home cooked meals, fresh air, exercise, laughter and play are all really important to our family.

I do my best to choose natural unprocessed foods and to cook with fresh produce – fruit, veggies and good quality meat.

With the kids, I try to see their nutrition as a balance of the week rather than to get too hung up on individual meals. There are days or times where they’re fussy but rather than forcing it I just try to encourage them by role modeling healthy eating myself and tell myself they’ll probably eat more at the next meal.

I think as parents we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves because we see so many elaborate meals that other people’s families are eating via social media but there is no way I was eating anything fancy as a kid and I’ve learned to love a wide-ranging healthy diet. I figure if we instill positive messages about nutrition over time and not create too much pressure on us as parents or Sylvie and Roy, they’ll be fine.“

“The kids have always been honey eating machines so the fact we’ve discovered Capilano Manuka honey with its added health benefits, making the swap has been a big win.

We love it in smoothies, on muesli and porridge, crumpets, on crackers in their lunch box and I enjoy it in my cup of tea. The kids will even request it with yoghurt. Just Greek yoghurt with a generous dollop of honey on top.“

“I get the biggest buzz from moving my body and getting out in nature, doing the simple things. A swim in the ocean on a cold day, a run up a mountain, a bike ride along the river or sipping on my first coffee for the day in the morning sun.“

“I think the biggest compliment is when we don’t even differentiate! When someone says “Great kick/catch/shot”, they can be talking about any athlete. We are getting very close to that!

My kids won’t know a time where female athletes weren’t being invested in and developed as athletes, and then celebrated in mainstream media for their strength, athleticism or skill, so that saying will mean nothing to them. We still have work to do in terms of equaling the playing field, but the Matilda’s have definitely played a significant role in shaping how Women’s Sport will be perceived now and into the future. What a great time to be alive!“