Welcome to Sky Sports Editions, where we meet remarkable sports women as they direct their very own cover shoot. Alongside all of the live sport coverage on Sky, this series provides a space for these extraordinary athletes to tell their personal journeys, in their own words. In this episode, we meet Charley Hull, one of the UK’s most celebrated golfers, who has won the Ladies European Tour three times and the LPGA Tour twice. She shares how fitness plays a crucial part in her wellbeing and managing her ADHD symptoms, and her hopes for breaking down barriers for women in sport.
Charley Hull has been playing golf for pretty much her entire life. That’s not an exaggeration — she first picked up a golf club when she was just two years old, when her dad introduced her to the sport at their local course, the Kettering Golf Club in Northamptonshire.
Now 28 and a professional golfer, Hull hasn’t really put her clubs down since. At nine years old, she proved her skills on the course when she beat her adult opponents and came out top at the British Ladies National Championship at Turnberry, in Scotland. Buoyed by her success, she started getting homeschooled when she was 13 so she could focus on golf and playing in amateur tournaments.
That decision paid off. Thanks to her undeniable talent, hard work and laser-sharp focus, Hull has gone from strength to strength. In 2013, during her first year as a professional golfer, she won the Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year award. That same year, she was selected to compete in the Solheim Cup, making her the youngest player to ever play in the tournament. These days, she competes in both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour.
Throughout her career, Hull hasn’t let anything stand in her way. She brings the same approach to her style, which she describes as “unapologetic”. What other words would she use to describe her fashion sense? “Glamorous” and “sporty”, says Hull. She wasn’t always into the glam look, though. “When I was younger, I was just sporty, I didn’t have any interest [in fashion]. My relationship with style has got a lot better over the years. As I’ve got older, I really enjoy it,” says Hull.
On the golf course, Hull aims to strike a balance between comfort and style. “I like to wear pleated skirts — I think they are pretty, as well as being comfortable and easy to move in,” she says. But when it comes to downtime, she’s all about comfort. “If I’m chilling at home, I love to put on a sweatshirt and sweatpants.” When she isn’t in sweatpants, Hull loves being glamorous, but she isn’t concerned about following trends. “I have my own style. If something went out of fashion I’d still wear it,” she said. “I like to be glamorous but I’m sporty as well. I go to the gym a lot. I want to show my physique off and show how strong I am. I’m unapologetic — that’s me.”
Hull’s glamorous yet sporty approach to style is reflected in her choices for her Sky Sports Editions cover shoot. Her outfit — a co-ord skirt and top set — shows off her strong physique, and the pleated skirt is a nod to the kind of skirts she loves to wear on the golf course. The gold heels bring an extra dose of glamour.
As a professional athlete, Hull obviously needs to keep fit and eat healthily — but it goes way beyond that. For Hull, fitness is key to her wellbeing, both physically and mentally. “It’s good for your mind. It helps me mentally. I love going to the gym and feeling mentally switched on,” she says. “I feel fit and happy in myself.”
The mental health benefits of working out have become even more important for Hull lately. She was recently diagnosed with ADHD and says that exercising is a “massive thing” when it comes to managing her symptoms. “I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD this year. I’ve learnt a lot about it and I have ways to cope now. When I feel like I’m struggling, I go to the gym,” says Hull.
Since her ADHD diagnosis, Hull has developed an understanding of what works for her. “I decided not to take any medication as I feel that I can manage it myself. One of the biggest things for me is routine. That’s why the job that I have works well in that my days have a regular structure to them. When I’m away on tour, I can get into a really good routine and that helps me enormously.” Since being diagnosed with ADHD, Hull says she has become “more self-aware”, too. “I have a better understanding of myself in terms of what works for me and what does not,” she says. “I know how important routine is for me and I’m better at scheduling and planning so that I can be as healthy as possible. I put myself first. I know my triggers and how to cope. I just do me.”
The idea of being physically and mentally strong is crucial for Hull. And that mindset — along with her unapologetic attitude — has helped her build an impressive career in a sport that’s traditionally been thought of as male dominated. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind, either. Last year, a tweet of hers went viral after a male golf fan said he would “make every cut on the LPGA and be a top 20 player”. Hull responded to the tweet, saying: “Shall we sort this game out. I’ll let him play off the red tees while I’ll play off the whites” — referring to the distance of the tee-off point, and offering him the tees where beginners typically take their shots. Speaking about this at her Sky Sports Editions shoot, she says: “I find it quite funny. Everyone saw it and made a big fuss out of it. People want this game to happen,” she says.
Over the years, she’s made waves with her performances on the golf course — and helped to fly the flag for female athletes in the process. Hull is keen to make sure that women and girls feel like sport is a place for them. “Sport can give you so much and I hate to think of people missing out on the opportunities. Apart from the obvious health benefits, both mental and physical, it teaches you discipline, commitment, work ethic, teamwork, and it gives you a social network.”
If she could change one thing for women in sport, what would it be? “I just wish that there would be no barriers,” she says. Well, if Hull’s career so far is anything to go by, we get the sense that she isn’t done breaking down barriers just yet.
See Charley Hull in action at the Chevron Championship, available to watch on Sky Sports from 18 April.
Stay tuned for the next episode of Sky Sports Editions, where we meet cricketer Sophie Ecclestone. Coming soon on Refinery29. Catch up on all Sky Sports Editions here.
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