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The Irish Sun

I ran for Ireland at the Olympics – but my game-changing side-hustle brand stocked in major stores is my new focus

REPRESENTING your country at the Olympics is every athlete's dream - but for Dubliner Nadia Power, it was a goal she was almost too afraid to set. The 800m track star, who started running when she was just eight-years-old, should have backed herself from the off because in 2021 she 7 Nadia headed to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile 7 Nadia has suffered a number of injuries during her career Credit:7 The Dublin native is now focusing on her own business Swifter Credit: 7 She launched the brand with partner James Madden After a breakthrough season in 2021, including breaking the Irish indoor 800m record twice, first running 2:02.44 and then to 2:00.98, she placed seventh in her heat in Tokyo. And the Templeogue native is open about the ups and downs of life in athletics, admitting it's "been a bad few years" after being hampered by various injuries. She told the Irish Sun: "I think my body is struggling to tolerate the training needed to be at a high level. "It's been a bad few years for me, to be honest. "I've had a lot of injuries over the last few years. Mostly lower leg from falling and calf and Achilles issues. "So I'm still dealing with one now at the moment. So it's been a bad few years for me to be honest with athletics, I've really struggled." Nadia told how the Olympics goal wasn't always on the table, adding: "I was never looking at the Olympics. I was always just not backing myself, I suppose. "It was only as it came closer that I realised I was running really well and had a chance. But it was probably just not being ambitious enough when I was younger." But after the disappointment and frustration of mounting injuries, Nadia now turned her focus to her fast-growing business - inspired by her athletics background. She told us: "So that's why I'm working hard on something else. I guess to distract me because BRAND BUZZ Nadia and her hurler partner James Madden teamed up to use their sports experience to create a homegrown range of practical fitness essentials through their brand Swifter. Nadia said kicking off the company was a way to "control" her time and combine work with her career as an athlete, adding: "Starting a business gave me the flexibility to train and work on something I'm passionate about." Noticing a "big boost in running" across the country, the pair decided to focus on creating "problem-solving products". James used his background in product development and sporting experience with the Dublin hurling team to create their first product - the SwiftVest back in 2023. And Nadia leads the design and content, using her years of running experience to ensure every product passes the pro athlete test. Run clubs are booming, with big races selling out within hours of going on sale and a huge surge in interest in the sport. COMMUNITY VIBES The pair host regular run clubs and events in Dublin, encouraging people to get a run in and connect over a coffee afterwards. Nadia said: "There's less interest in drinking and party culture and more interest in wellness. "Running clubs are a way to bring people together to socialise—it just makes the runs fly by. "It's so nice now that my friends want to do wholesome activities with me. "We're all happy to grab a coffee, go for a swim, or do an exercise class together." When it comes to overcoming a sports injury, Nadia emphasised the importance of "taking a step back" and "focusing on other things in your life" - like how she's thrown her full attention at Swifter, which is now stocked at Lifestyle Sports as well as Brown Thomas outlets in Dundrum and Cork. She advised: "Don't rush back for something. That's probably the biggest mistake I've made—trying to rush back for races. Just know the opportunity will come again next year. "Taking a step back and focusing on other things in your life really helps." JOURNAL TIME One of Swifter's bestselling products was inspired by Nadia's love of journalling - their Pursuit Training Journal, which they aim to be a personalised roadmap to achieving your fitness goals. Nadia said: "I've always kept a journal, for the last 10 years, I've tracked all my training, distances and times. "It's so helpful to look back when things went well or badly, or to figure out what caused an injury." And while her athletics career has sometimes left her frustrated and she's focusing on work over sport this summer, Nadia said she'll continue to work towards her goals on the track. She said: "I think just surrounding myself with good people, finding good training partners and a good coach, and making sure my lifestyle supports my training has helped a lot." See 7 Nadia is recovering from an Achilles injury Credit: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile 7 Nadia will be appearing at WellFest in May Credit: WellFest 7 Nadia won the Senior Women's 800m in the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Athletics Championships Credit: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile