Pamela Joyce: I have never relaxed a day in my life — I don't know the meaning of the word

'I cannot sit still. I find it extremely difficult to switch off and not do anything'

Pamela Joyce pictured with her new golf clubs at the Golf Ireland Academy

Radio presenter Pamela Joyce leads a busy life and in recent months the Galway native has added a new pastime to her already packed schedule.

“I feel like I’m flat to the mat at all times, which I love,” she says.

Over the past couple of months, the Today FM star has been rediscovering her love for being active and she is back golfing in her local club in Rathfarnham after initially picking up the sport as a child.

“I was very active as a child, played loads of sports and then I suppose when I got into college and my 20s, it fell by the wayside,” says the 30-year-old.

While she still finds the gym “really intimidating”, she has found new ways of exercising.

“I used to run a good bit, but I fractured my hip a few years ago so my body won’t allow me to run anymore, which is sad. I’m too afraid to go to gyms because I find them terrifying, so I do weights and stuff at home.”

Pamela Joyce is taking part in The First Tee, Journey to Dromoland, a new six-part series courtesy of Golf Ireland.

Do you have a morning routine?

I’m very much a creature of habit. I have to do the same thing every morning Monday to Friday. I get up around 7.30am and I go downstairs. I make my lunch, I have my Revive Active, I do my workout, I sit and have my coffee, and go through my phone, and look at bits for the show. [Then] shower, out the door, and into work.

What is one thing you do every day?

I read. I make sure that I dedicate time before I go to sleep — at least half an hour — to sit and read a book.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I try to have as much colour on the plate as I can. During covid, I wasn’t particularly mindful of what I was eating. Meals were the highlight of my day, so it was just beige, beige, beige.

What are your guiltiest pleasures?

I love cheese puffs or giant Wotsits.

What keeps you awake at night?

My days are generally quite busy so when I get into bed at night, my brain starts recapping and going through what happened and what’s happening tomorrow.

How do you relax?

I have never relaxed a day in my life. I don’t know the meaning of the word. My mother and sister are the same. I cannot sit still. I find it extremely difficult to switch off.

Who are your sporting heroes?

Golfer Leona Maguire. I think she’s amazing. The representation and the visibility she has given to female golf is absolutely brilliant.

What is your favourite smell?

It’s turf. When I was growing up, my granny had a turf shed in the back of her house. I think it’s a nostalgia thing. It reminds me of being younger and being around my granny’s house.

When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday. I cry all the time. I find it very cathartic. I’m going to Galway this week and I haven’t been in a while, and I started crying yesterday just thinking about how much I love Galway.

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

The days when you don’t want to exercise or go for a walk or do a workout are the days that you get the most out of exercising.

What traits do you least like in others?

A lack of empathy. I think empathy is one of the greatest tools we have as human beings.

What traits do you least like about yourself?

I’d be quite impulsive and I’ve a bit of a temper. I’m working on it.

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

A diet Coke. Other than that, my friends. I have really wonderful supportive friends. I’m in a position where I can write to my friends and they can write to me and say, ‘I’m feeling a bit crap today. Do you want to go for a walk or can I give you a quick call?’.

What quote inspires you most and why?

If you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room. It inspires you to challenge yourself a little bit.

Where is your favourite place in the world?

Galway. But more specifically, Clifden. My dad is from there.