Lee Chin on constantly pushing himself and why he doesn't calorie count

Irene Feighan meets Wexford hurler Lee Chin.

LEE CHIN’s paternal grandparents live almost 11,000km away in Malaysia. Opportunities to visit them are rare, so when the Wexford hurling star found himself in Singapore late last year on an All-Star tour, he took the sliotar on the hop and decided to take the hour-long journey to see them.

He was eight years old the last time they met. Now he was returning as an adult and as a top GAA player.

“It was a great experience — an experience with them as an older man as opposed to when I was a kid,” says the 25-year-old.

“The language barrier was pretty hard because I don’t speak Chinese and they have very, very limited English. But when my cousins came round — aged about 16 and doing English in school — they were able to translate everything.”

Back home, his focus is now on the GAA championship. And he’s constantly pushing himself, whether he’s in training mode or playing a match.

“You have that competitive streak. You compete with a lot of the lads that are surrounding the training sessions as well as your teammates and you do base or judge yourself on what other guys are bringing to the table,” he says.

Generally, you have your own goals and aspirations of where you want to be at a particular time of year. That’s the way I approach it.

Lee is this year’s Pfizer Healthy Town ambassador. The annual eight-week public programme offers the people of Wexford Town tools and advice on how to improve their health and wellbeing

What shape are you in?

At the moment, I’m training a maximum of five times a week — two gym sessions and three pitch sessions. The gym sessions would last an hour and 10 minutes max. A lot of our gym sessions are based around strength and conditioning. At this time of year most of the stuff you’d be doing in the gym would be to maintain what you’ve built earlier in the season. You’re pretty much doing a lot of stuff to prevent injury and doing a lot of stretching.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I don’t generally calorie count — I’m able to gauge for myself what I need and what I don’t. I wouldn’t have a sweet tooth but I would keep my diet in check. Breakfast, lunch, tea are all pretty much healthy meals.

When training at the level we train at — you’ve got to be looking after what you eat and it does come down to your carbs and your proteins. You make sure you’re maintaining your muscle mass and obviously your energy levels. A dietitian advises the team.

What are your guiltiest pleasures?

I’m a sucker for crisps. There is no such thing as one crisp.

What would keep you awake at night?

If a big game is coming up and I’m thinking about it too much — it would be more excitement. I don’t like it to be honest. I try and switch off as much as I can a day or two before the game and totally relax

How do you relax?

Being in the gym — that’s my go-to place. But also working on the stuff I want to work on in my own GAA pitch in Wexford. I find that very therapeutic. Other than that, I like to meet up with friends and go for a round of golf. It’s a great way to stay active and to focus on something — and to have a bit of fun with your friends.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

I’d love to get inside Conor McGregor’s head. Also, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan — both are very influential figures. They are born winners and they seem to have a very strong mindset and strong mental strength.

What would you like to change about your appearance?

I’m happy the way I am.

When is the last time you cried?

You can get emotional following a loss or a win. I get emotional more so when we’re beaten because you tend to beat yourself up a little bit more. It’s like you’re crying inside. I don’t usually cry much. I can’t remember the last time I shed a tear.

What trait do you least like in others?

One trait that I wouldn’t hugely support would be selfishness. Luckily, I’m not surrounded by too many individuals with that trait.

What trait do you least like about yourself?

Sometimes I can be very stubborn. It’s general stuff — about right and wrong.

Do you pray?

Of course. I recite the Hail Mary. It’s something we grew up with. We used to say it before we went to sleep when I was a kid. It has always been my go-to.

What would cheer up your day?

The sunshine.