Conor Robins - Athlete Ambassador

Have you always been into sport?

Snce a young age I have always been a sports person. I first started playing snooker with my dad at the age of 6 and then went on to play football. I have played numerous of sports over the years such as football, rugby, tennis, table tennis, badminton, ultimate frisbee and beach volleyball.

How did you first get into beach volleyball?

I was 15 years old I started to play indoor volleyball in school and one of the teachers suggested that I try out for a local club Cardiff Celts. That then progressed on and I played for the Wales under 18s indoor volleyball team. We as a team would go to Barry Island and play beach volleyball for fun. This is where I realised I enjoyed playing beach more than indoor. This developed as we become more popular and wanted to be more local. After pulling some strings, we managed to create a beach volleyball centre in the middle of Cardiff known as Cardiff Beach Volleyball.

If you're interested in starting your own fitness journey, Sundried's Activewear is suitable for people of all abilities. 

What has been your favourite tournament to date and why?

My favourite tournament would have to be where I played an international tournament in Lichtenstein. I enjoyed this tournament because the centre court was outside the majors home and it brought a lot of attention. We were up in the mountains and the weather and scenery was just amazing!

What is your proudest achievement?

My proudest achievement by far was being selected to represent Wales in the 2018 Commonwealth Games Qualifiers which was held in Cyprus. We finished in 3rd but the experience was amazing and I hope to represent Wales again in the 2022 qualifiers.

Have you ever had any playing disasters?

I’ve been relatively lucky with my time in beach volleyball. The only bad injury I’ve sustained is dislocating one of my fingers in two places. Was rushed to hospital to be out properly back into place.

How do you overcome setbacks?

I believe that any type of setbacks should make you a stronger person. I’ve had many setbacks in terms of losing matches where I should be winning, getting injured and losing quality training time or even when in lockdown and you can’t go to the gym or train properly. Overcoming setbacks requires a lot of mental strength. When a setback occurs, you can either decide to just take it and do nothing about it or you can overcome it by finding other ways to improve your wellbeing. Whether that be home workouts, analysing game footage and seeing how to improve your game or simply just concentrate on what comes next.

What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?

When I first started playing I was very coordinated and my skills were very high. I was overweight which held me back from being one of the best. I wish at the start that someone told me in order to be the best, or to be able to compete at a very high level, that I would need to become fitter and healthier. I feel like if that was the case I would’ve been able to achieve more prior to my achievements now.

What are your goals?

My main goals are to represent Wales consistently at the Commonwealth Games and hopefully go abroad to compete on the AVP tour. I still have a long way to go but I am focused on what I want to achieve.

Who inspires you?

Ever since I was little I always looked up to my dad and my grandad. They both played at high level in their chosen sports and I wanted to follow in their footsteps. So I look to compete at high level to make them proud. If asked who in beach volleyball do I look up to, I would say Adrian Carambula because of the unorthodox style of play, which is how I like to play.

Why work with Sundried?

I am passionate about sport in general and I believe that Sundried has the same passion as I do. It’s also nice that their EcoTech collection is made up from 100% recycled materials which I think is amazing! The community they have are all so supportive and if you need any questions, someone is always more than happy to answer them. Everyone here is so friendly and always happy to give advice on anything you need!

To hear more from our ambassadors and get free tips on workout plans and more, connect with the Sundried Personal Trainers on our app.