Paratriathlete Liam Twomey On How To Get Yourself Mentally Fit
“We don’t get somewhere physically without doing the mental work.”
Adversity comes in many forms. For Liam Twomey, it was the amputation of his leg at only 7 years old that set his life off track and onto a self-destructive path. Even more damaging than his physical disability was the mental burden that would lead to an unhealthy reliance on drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism during his adolescence.
Now, Liam has been sober for nearly 8 years and is applying his ambition and determination towards his goal of becoming a Paralympian. As a Mental Health Ambassador and motivational speaker, Liam’s ability to overcome challenges continues to inspire people of all backgrounds and ages.
Liam is passionate about giving back through working with the Black Dog Institute and START Foundation that helped kick-start his journey as an elite triathlete. He is highly involved in empowering and supporting the mental health of children with and without disabilities as a rewarding and vital part of his continuing journey.
Liam sat down with Sportitude to share his story and provide insight on the 3 pillars we can all strive for to stay mentally fit and nurture positivity in each day.
Liam’s Personal Journey
At the age of 7, Liam Twomey was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma cancer in his right leg. After enduring largely ineffective chemotherapy for over 10 months, the best chance Liam had at life was for doctors to amputate below his knee.
This led him to feeling different and isolated during his adolescence with a broken sense of identity – turning to drugs, alcohol and self-destructive behaviours to drown out his grief – to the point that even his closest friends began to cut him off.
“Everyone around me could see I wasn’t OK… but I wasn’t able or didn’t have the mental and physical capacity to be able to talk about it. I’m very different to how I was then. I just really struggled with myself.”
With little hope for the future or care for himself, and after multiple collisions with the law, one incident sparked a change in the direction of his life – not that he knew it yet. A police officer showed him compassion, encouraging him to seek rehab rather than arresting him.
His time in rehabilitation was humbling, and Liam’s perspective shifted as he gained a wider appreciation of the people around him – providing insight that everyone has experienced loss or struggles – whether through domestic violence, physical disability or mental health challenges. He wasn’t alone.
“I didn’t think I had this golden ticket to feeling sorry for myself any more which was a massive shift in how I lived my life. In that same breath… I started to get physically fit as well as mentally fit to change my life.”
At the age of 21 Liam committed to change, taking on a new environment by moving from Melbourne to Sydney as well as gaining a new respect for mental health and how it colours every aspect of everyday life. He also gained a greater appreciation for the perspective of others. If his support network believed in his capabilities, as well as charities like the START Foundation (that gave him a grant for a sporting prosthetic costing $15,000) – it was about time he started believing in himself.
Liam turned his attention to swimming – something he was reluctant to do in his younger years, with the apprehension of leaving his comfort zone and removing his prosthetic leg in public. He applied himself to competitive swimming and found enjoyment in the physical movement. However, the hours of training and apprehension leading up to what would be a relatively short race, didn’t live up to the emotional reward he aspired for. He wanted more out of his sport, and he would find that in triathlon.
At his first triathlon in 2018 Liam felt out of his depth next to triathletes that had represented Australia and that had even competed in the Paralympics. He joined the starting line with virtually no training, and needless to say the race was a mentally and physically challenging experience. However, even when finishing at the back of the pack he felt a sense of accomplishment and was eager to continuously apply himself to the sport.
“I was like a fish out of water… but I really stuck with it.”
About 6 months later Liam was overseas representing Australia in triathlon racing. He had found his purpose – a dramatically positive contrast to his self-destructive behaviour only years prior. After narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 2021 Paralympic team, Liam is committed to his ultimate goal of competing in the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
“My life had massively changed. The biggest thing that had changed for me, while physically I was doing a lot of cool stuff, was that I had mentally really changed the way I do things. I had a good support group, I was really open with my friends and my family, and I spoke to people openly about how I felt which changed everything for me… I felt really comfortable and safe.”
In terms of both his mental health and sports goals – the idiom ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint’ rings true. Through consistent effort, practicing kindness to himself and others, the support of family and the motivation he gives to other people, Liam is following his dream and is building the life he never knew he could have.
“I may look a little bit different when I run compared to some people, but I generally run faster than most of my mates with both legs… Feeling physically capable is really empowering and I think that it is really important for everyone, disability or not”.
Even outside his athletic pursuits, Liam prioritises his mental health. Although his goal of competing in the Paralympics is a major motivator for him, he also holds great value for his life and personal character beyond suiting up for training and race day.
Currently Liam is an ambassador of the START Foundation and the Black Dog Institute, helping build awareness of mental illness. He particularly values nurturing the self-belief of children with or without disabilities, to build confidence in their abilities – both physical and mental.
The 3 Pillars Of Mental Fitness
“Being mentally fit really affects everything we do in life… Everyone has tough days, tough weeks, tough moments and whether it’s a big thing or a little thing, there’s always things that can come at us...
I think it’s really important how we look to manage those things when we deal with life. We can go through it and hold onto it and keep it to ourselves and struggle with it, or we can share it openly and be involved with people.”
Having access to the right 'mental tools' can make a fundamental difference to your self-esteem and positivity. To maintain mental fitness, you need to work it out like a muscle.
It takes conscious effort - but you can strengthen your mental health and make the shift towards positive thinking through practice, consistency and seeking support from loved ones or professionals.
Liam shared his insight on the 3 pillars of a healthy mental fitness program; gratitude, mindfulness and goal setting.
1. Gratitude
“Gratitude for me is that idea of trying to focus on the positives in life, because despite every day not being perfect there’s always little wins in every day. How we look at that and try to capitalise on that really helps to change our perspective. Just practicing gratitude for a couple of weeks in a row can really change how our brain works.”
It’s easy to focus on what we don’t have – what we feel is missing from our lives. What’s harder is appreciating the positive moments of every day that frequently sweep by unnoticed. Whether it’s a smile from a fellow runner, enjoying a nutritious smoothie or the spark of joy at finishing your shift for the day – these moments can turn around your entire perspective if you put in the short time to pause and reflect on them.
Rewiring your brain to focus on the positives doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. It can be as simple as reframing your experience in a new light. Start small by thinking of 3 things you are grateful for or are looking forward to everyday – whether it’s a food, a feeling or positive interaction with another person.
You may make the memory of these positive experiences more tangible by writing them down – giving you a record you can reflect on and find joy in during darker moments. With consistency, you can turn this self-care ritual of gratitude into a healthy habit to support your mental health now and in the future.
2. Mindfulness
“I think about mindfulness simply as the ability to focus on what’s happening to you and around you and being OK with it as well and not judging it or being too critical about it.
Mindfulness can be done in so many different ways… through exercise, through spending time with someone, through eating, through reading, through writing… It’s about finding something that works for you personally.”
You may feel that life is too busy to set aside time for mindfulness – but mindfulness doesn’t have to be something you do separately from your day-to-day activity. Some people find that 15 minutes of meditation, breathing or yoga exercises can be calming and rejuvenating, setting a healthy tone for the rest of the day.
You may prefer ‘mindfulness on the move’ which can be just as valuable. Mindfulness can be practiced any time and anywhere – in bed when you first wake up, running through the park or at the local café enjoying a meal with a friend.
Mindfulness means different things to different people. For many of us it’s about breaking out of running on autopilot by taking a pause, a breath, and tuning into your senses. Think about what you can see, hear, feel to connect to yourself mentally and physically and the world around you in the moment. Focussing on the sensations you’re experiencing now can help provide relief from the pressures and stresses of the past or future that we tend to carry.
Being aware of your mindset and examining it in a non-judgmental manner can provide relief from anxiety that may otherwise cloud how you perceive yourself and your environment. Remember, it’s OK to feel anxiety from time to time.
Rather than pushing away or burying negative thought (as this can cause anxiety to be self-perpetuating – essentially causing you to be anxious of being anxious), many people benefit from mindfulness exercises involving calm visualisation. You can imagine a negative thought is a cloud drifting by in your mind. It’s natural for thoughts to come and go in the moment. Observe and acknowledge it without attachment or criticism and gently allow it to pass.
Writing down or sharing your feelings as a mindfulness exercise can allow you to untangle from and let go of the negative thoughts that bind you. It can help gain a clearer perspective that you are worth it and you aren’t alone.
3. Goal setting
“The idea of goal setting and having meaning and purpose in what we do is really valuable for anyone in every area.”
Finding a goal that you are passionate about – that motivates you to push further to grow your sense of self-worth and accomplishment is a game-changer when it comes to your overall mental health and wellbeing.
Goals can form the foundation of your personal development and create a sense of identity – although it’s important to remember that what makes you you is so much more than your goal.
Your goal should be worthwhile to you – whether it’s a goal oriented around sport and fitness (e.g. running a marathon or running more regularly), social and family life, your career, hobbies, travel aspirations or stepping outside the box and welcoming new experiences.
If you wake up in the morning and feel inspired and driven by your goal, it’s more than likely a goal worth pursuing. Breaking it down into smaller, achievable and quantifiable steps may help fuel your sense of accomplishment as you progress towards your ultimate goal.
Don’t beat yourself up if you fall off track… it’s unrealistic to feel motivated 100% of the time. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a breather and keep moving forward. There's no finish line to what's possible.
The Importance Of Checking In: Are You OK?
“Everyone has a challenge. There’s always something and you don’t know what anyone is coming to work with or going home to. How we’re able to actually check in on each other and make people feel valuable and worthwhile is really relevant... a simple check-in can go a long way.”
It is amazing what a simple chat can do for someone’s mental health. For many of us, when we feel depression, anxiety or hopelessness, we tend to isolate ourselves, become less involved in social activity, no longer find joy in things that were once rewarding and withdraw from friends and family.
Sometimes it’s outwardly clear when a co-worker, friend or family member is going through a tough time based on behavioural changes including their emotional state or mood, even if they haven’t told you specifically. Other times, depression or anxiety can be concealed, and we simply don’t know the burdens people carry – because we all face challenges at some stage of our lives.
The act of asking “Are you OK?" can help open up a meaningful conversation and create a safe space. You don’t have to be an expert - it isn’t about fixing someone’s problems, it’s about lending them a kind, non-judgmental ear and providing support.
A simple chat can go a long way towards giving them the encouragement they need to make positive change and potentially take steps towards seeking out professional help. Be sure to stay in touch and follow up on the conversation and be there for them if they reach out for further support.
Even if someone is OK, there is no harm in asking the question – it shows you genuinely care for them and value them as a person.
Thank you Liam for sharing your story and your insight! The team at Sportitude wishes you all the best in pursuing your inspiring goal of competing in the Paralympics.
You can keep track of Liam's journey and his mental fitness programs through his website, Team Twomey. We’ll leave you with this final message from Liam about how to make the positive changes you want to see in your life;
“Every day is just about turning up, giving it a crack and seeing what happens… You don’t have to be the best at everything. If you turn up and be consistent, eventually things change… I’ve slowly created this life for myself and I think anyone is capable of doing that.”
Mental health challenges can affect anyone. If you ever feel burdened or overwhelmed by depression, anxiety or stress - you're not alone. Please seek the support of someone you trust or a mental health professional.
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