Paul Olima: Find something every day that challenges you to move

It's My Life: former rugby and soccer player is now a social-media comedian with hundreds of thousands of followers

Dublin-born fitness star and content creator Paul Olima outside Aviva Stadium. Pic: Sasko Lazarov

It’s difficult to put Dublin-born fitness influencer Paul Olima into any one box, with a career that spans time as a professional rugby and soccer player, personal trainer and fitness model, as well as author, actor and presenter.

“I’ve done a lot of stuff, I just keep on trying things,” he laughs.

The 36-year-old now mainly focuses on producing comedic skits and videos for his social media platforms - he has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube - as well as raising his two daughters.

Almost 20 years on since Paul first left home for England to train as a professional athlete, the fitness fanatic is not afraid to use his platform to poke fun at the industry which he himself agrees can sometimes take itself “very seriously”.

• Paul is an ambassador for Heineken’s new ‘Love Rivalry’ campaign.
• Ahead of the 2023 Heineken Champions Cup, fans are invited to join in the rivalry by submitting their best chants and cheers at love-rivalry.com. The best entries are in with a chance of winning VIP tickets to the cup final in May.

How do you manage to keep fit?

I do ju-jitsu and I go to the gym.

Do you have a morning routine?

I sit in my vitamins corner and I pop around ten vitamin tablets, a bit of creatine, and then I’m ready to go.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I make sure I have at least 180g of protein a day for muscle maintenance.

What are your guiltiest pleasures?

I love Lindt chocolate. Or the Haribo stash that’s meant to be for my daughters that I end up eating half of.

What keeps you awake at night?

Thinking of more videos to make. I could wake up with an idea for something, and I just keep on thinking, my head never stops.

How do you relax?

I get a Thai massage every week.

Who are your sporting heroes?

For football, it’s Andy Cole, he was everything to me when I was growing up. For rugby, it was Jonah Lomu, of course.

When was the last time you cried?

I have a four-year-old and she’s speaking properly now, so probably when she says something that I’m baffled by. She’s stringing sentences together and I must have left the room once or twice with a little bit of a tear in my eye. It’s absolutely amazing. So yeah, when my daughter does something that’s very adult-like.

What is the best health advice you’ve ever been given?

Find something every day that challenges you to move. If you don’t want to go to the gym and let’s say you’re sitting on a train, stand. Just make sure there’s something that you’re doing that keeps your body active.

What traits do you least like in others?

Gossipers. I make sure to stay away from people who have bad things to say about others because no doubt they’re saying some bad stuff about you when you’re not around.

What cheers you up if you’re having a bad day?

Playing with my kids. My daughters are fun and lively so they always have me feeling good.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

The Rock and Angelina Jolie.

What quote inspires you most and why?

‘When something bad happens, do you become wounded or wise?’

Bad situations happen to everybody, but when they happen do you become wounded, or do you see what happened and become wise from it so you don’t ever want to do it again? I try and live like that.

Where is your favourite place in the world?

A little island called Koh Tao in Thailand. I always said to myself that I’d never be able to move anywhere — I live in Dublin and I just like the cold weather. But Koh Tao was absolutely beautiful, I could definitely live there.