Liam O’Reilly, Australian athlete, content creator, TikTok sensation, and performer, chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his journey in fitness and life.
American entrepreneur Sam Altman once said: “Young people willing to push super hard to make something happen are among the most powerful forces in the world.” Liam O’Reilly is such an inspiring individual.
He now works with such brands as Myprotein and Doyoueven. “I’ve come a long way. My fitness has been doing really good,” he said. “It all started when I turned 20 years old in the gym. I did soccer for 15 years, and then in soccer training, I broke my leg in a training session in a tackle. The doctors thought I had torn my ACL but after they did an MRI, they saw a break in my tibia. I was working as a carpenter at the time and I had to take three months off work.”
“Four days after I broke my leg was the first time I stepped foot into a gym, and the rest is history,” he said. “I didn’t go back to soccer after I recovered since I developed a passion for the gym. That helped me gain a great deal of confidence in myself. Next month, on February 24, I will be celebrating my three-year anniversary in the gym. It’s great to find your passion and to do something you enjoy.”
“Also, I was 3.5 years into carpentry, and six months off to get my full trade certificate to become a qualified carpenter in Australia, and I just threw the towel in,” he added. “I realized that money isn’t everything. The mental health aspect of it is honestly No. 1 for me since money can’t make you happy.”
O’Reilly continued, “One month later, I got a job at a gym and that was the best thing that ever happened to me. My mental health was my top priority and I was so happy in the environment I was working in. I couldn’t be more thankful for my gym workplace. I am working to become a personal trainer in Australia.”
On the title of the current chapter of his life, O’Reilly responded, “The journey of finding the best version of myself.” “I feel like I am on that path but I am always unlocking opportunities and routes to find my true path to becoming myself at the end of the day,” he explained.
“I am happy and content where I am now, but I am still finding myself as a person,” he added. “You don’t want to stay comfortable and complacent and you should always be open to change.”
Digital age
O’Reilly spoke about being a content creator, TikTok influencer, performer, and athlete in the digital age. “You need to keep up with the times and the trends. You need to always have your equipment up-to-date,” he said.
“My goal right now is to travel over to the United States. I would like to visit Los Angeles, and Houston, Texas because I want to collaborate with the people that I’ve met over the years on social media,” he said.
He revealed that he recently joined the Magic Men Australia performers family “Yesterday was my first shift with them,” he said. “I am grateful for the life I live and all of the connections.”
He had great words about fellow content creators and performers Alex Mendoza and Charlie Welham. “Alex and Charlie are my best mates,” he said. “I am forever grateful to them. I got both of them into TikTok, and now as we recently sat down on our ‘table of dreams’ a few days ago, we talked about how far along we have all come. Now, they have both overtaken me on TikTok. We have all grown together and we have lifted each other up.”
If he were to do a track and field event, O’Reilly shared that he won run the 800 meters, the 1,500 meters, and he would do the long jump, triple jump, and the high jump. “I used to do all of the track and field events, and I loved athletics,” he said.
He listed the freestyle and the backstroke as his two personal favorite strokes in swimming. “I used to do swimming as well when I was younger, and I was a pretty decent swimmer,” he admitted. “With freestyle, it feels like you are sprinting.”
Success
On his definition of success, O’Reilly remarked, “Success is living financially stressfree, and giving back to my parents as well, especially my mother. I’m a big mama’s boy, I love her so much. I am grateful to my parents for their support through everything. Life is short and I want to enjoy the experiences that life has to offer.”
To learn more about Liam O’Reilly, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
