Amy Guy is a woman who doesn’t like to sit still it seems. She is a model, international athlete, busy architect and mother. She has represented her country in a variety of sports, was a regular in the TV series, Gladiators, and mixes running her architectural business and being a mum with her latest passion of playing Polo.
Udo’s Choice have now joined forces with Amy to form the Udo’s Choice Polo Team and we catch up with her - no mean feat itself! - to find out a little more about her background, how she balances all her activities and stays looking and feeling fabulous.
You have been involved in a variety of sports including hurdles, netball, pentathlon, marathon, show jumping and polo. Where did this love of sport come from?
I’ve always just been a very active person. I began competing at the age of 5 and from then onwards I always wanted something to challenge me sporting wise - hence why I tried my hand at many different sports!
I definitely get my competitive streak from my mother who used to compete in point to point racing. She’s always been very supportive and encouraging with whichever sport I have taken up.
What has been your main motivation throughout your sporting career?
It’s difficult to say, as I find motivation comes from various sources depending on what stage and level you are at with a sport. Sport for me begins with something that is enjoyable, then it turns into a passion, and then comes the technique and perfecting.
Motivation for me comes with reaching the next achievable step or level.... and then of course the winning! We all pretend that winning doesn't count....but it does really! It’s what spurs me on and I have no problem in saying that I love winning!
At the same time you have been a top model for the likes of Ralph Lauren and Jimmy Choo, and whilst keeping fit is a key part to bringing out natural beauty what would be your top tips for maintaining great looking skin, hair and nails?
For me it’s all about balance and remembering to look after your body. A good clean balanced diet with all the essential vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and ‘good’ fats is a given, but one of the main things is decent sleep which a lot of us fail to obtain because of crazy working hours – and I know all about those!
A good source of Vitamin C every day I find helps keep me going and keeps my immune system topped up. I never travel anywhere without an emergency supply of Berocca or vitamin C supplements in my bag. Finally the Essential Fatty Acids – the ‘good’ fats - that my body obtains from Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend keeps my skin fresh and vibrant.
Finally, you are also developing your architectural business. How much time are you now able to devote to training and how important has nutrition been in keeping you in peak condition to deal with all the various demands on you?
There are never enough hours in the day! I’m not going to lie its tough fitting everything in, but I just have to be super organised and efficient with my time. I prefer to train in the mornings, so a 7am start is normal….which means that office hours are not yet open and most mornings my little girl is still asleep. So I get a good session in before my e-mails start bounding through and the phone starts ringing etc. I’m not training as much as I would like at the moment due to work commitments, but I’m still managing to get in 3-4 sessions a week on top of my polo riding which is also about 3-4 times a week now.
Nutrition is vital when you are stretched with your time, as you need to fuel your body to keep it functioning to its best capacity! I prefer to eat little and often, so normally I end up having six small portions a day. But when you are out on the road its more difficult sometimes, hence why I always have a bunch of bananas and plenty of water in my car, to try and avoid the starchy processed foods from service stations.
What inspired you to begin playing Polo in 2009 and what do you most enjoy about the sport?
Just after we filmed for Gladiators, I got asked to compete in a Charity Polo Game against Katie Price and Prince Harry, as people knew I already had an experienced background in equestrianism. I had always wanted to try my hand at polo, but just never really had the chance. All other forms of equestrianism are pretty much based on the individual, but with polo being a pro-am team sport I wasn't quite sure how to get into it.
After having a few lessons I knew it was a sport for me. I loved it! And just wanted to improve and really get stuck into it. I love that it’s a mixed sex and generation sport, men…women... kids….everyone just plays together. It’s fast paced, aggressive, technical, and fun and that, for me is a perfect combination!
You have put together the Udo’s Choice Polo Team which has already won the first two tournaments it has entered. What do you hope to achieve with the team this year?
We've had a great start to the season with two fantastic wins. Our team has really gelled together, complementing each other’s strengths and weakness on the field. We all get along really well too, which is essential whilst working as a team out there on the pitch.
I’m very excited for the British Ladies Championships in July, it will be a tough tournament. The girls typically fight harder than the boys! and it gets pretty hairy out there sometimes. It would be fantastic to see an Udo’s Choice win and we will be doing everything we can to try and achieve this!
What are your own personal ambitions within the sport of Polo?
I would love the chance to represent my country again internationally. Anything is achievable with enough hard work and practice. So hopefully within the next few years I may have reached this level.
