Conor McDonald spoke to OTB AM about gym ownership during the pandemic, opening new lines of communication over Tik Tok and the ambition of an All-Ireland win with Wexford.
Amidst the uncertainty surrounding the next inter-county season and what form it will take, Conor McDonald's ambition remain singularly focused.
"Personally, I think you have your ambitions to win All-Irelands," he insisted on Tuesday's OTB AM. "I do, anyway and I have no bones about saying that. In the back of my head, all I want to do is win an All-Ireland.
"I know that an awful lot of GAA players kind of do that 'one game at a time' thing, but I think any player would be mad not to have the ambition to win an All-Ireland. That's the holy grail, that's why you play and that's why you want to be where.
"That's why you put your body through so much to get to that point."
As he joined OTB AM from the vacant studio of his 14 Fitness gym in Gorey, McDonald explained how the absence of hurling has not stopped him - and his mother - from ensuring they keep their bodies and minds active in a novel way.
Although Conor McDonald resists the notion that he's Tik Tok famous just yet, the Wexford hurler has been applying the skills of his day job in a new and innovative way.
The '75 Hard Challenge' tests participants to follow five basic principles every day for 75 days. Allowing no room for take-aways or alcohol but plenty of exercise, McDonald kicked off the new year by giving it a go.
Charting his progress on Tik Tok, he has been joined and driven on from the outset by his mother.
"I remember sitting there probably eating chocolate after having a few glasses of wine," he explained of the circumstances behind this challenge.
"I mentioned it in the sitting room and my mother said she wanted to make a positive impact on her own health and well-being so she said she would join me.
"We have made each other accountable and we wanted to document it in some way to make ourselves more accountable still, and make memories I suppose."
On Day 16 as he spoke to OTB AM, McDonald has found the whole process rewarding mentally, as well as physically.
"It is a mental toughness challenge rather than physical really," he explained, "and the principles have just sort of found their way into my life now and I'm thinking about the structure of my day an awful lot more.
"My mother is absolutely flying it too and she's doing better than I thought because I thought it might just be a little fad for a week.
"But she is pushing me there some evenings, as much as people think I must be pushing here."
You can follow Conor and his mother on the 75 Hard Challenge via his Tik Tok here
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
