'I've got sucked into that terrible documentary, <i>Tiger King</i>'
Tammy Beaumont's social-isolation plans involve a home gym, quizzes, and big cats
Valkerie Baynes
07-Apr-2020
Look ma, no hands: that sort of thing is off the table for a while now • Getty Images
We spoke to Tammy Beaumont for our Downtime Diaries series, where cricketers tell us how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected their lives.
You've built a home gym in your garage. That's quite a project. How did that go?
It was really good. One of my best friends is Zoe Smith, the weightlifter. She's been very stressed about the [Tokyo] Olympics changing and everything, and obviously she needs to still do her gym training, so I said we'll get a home gym in the garage going. My housemate and my boyfriend have built the platform to lift on.
It was really good. One of my best friends is Zoe Smith, the weightlifter. She's been very stressed about the [Tokyo] Olympics changing and everything, and obviously she needs to still do her gym training, so I said we'll get a home gym in the garage going. My housemate and my boyfriend have built the platform to lift on.
We bought some wood from Wickes (the DIY store), only it wouldn't fit in the car, so we had to drag the trolley all the way back from Wickes, which is about two miles. The police drove past and they were joking but they said: "I hope it's essential!" To keep us in our house, this is essential.
Is fitness something you were into before all this happened?
I hate running, actually, absolutely hate it, but I do like the gym. Having a friend like Zoe, I do enjoy doing the Olympic weightlifting a little bit. I'm obviously nowhere near as good as her. Sometimes my S&C (strength and conditioning) coach wants me to do the smaller exercises that are maybe more intricate for a small muscle in your shoulder, whereas I'm like, "I want to do cleans and snatches", so I do love that kind of thing and he is very good at appeasing me, letting me do a couple of sets of that as long as I do the smaller exercises that are probably more important for cricket.
I hate running, actually, absolutely hate it, but I do like the gym. Having a friend like Zoe, I do enjoy doing the Olympic weightlifting a little bit. I'm obviously nowhere near as good as her. Sometimes my S&C (strength and conditioning) coach wants me to do the smaller exercises that are maybe more intricate for a small muscle in your shoulder, whereas I'm like, "I want to do cleans and snatches", so I do love that kind of thing and he is very good at appeasing me, letting me do a couple of sets of that as long as I do the smaller exercises that are probably more important for cricket.
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Are you keeping in touch with team-mates, family and friends on social media more?
One of our young England girls, Sophia Dunkley, had to be in isolation for a week because one of her housemates showed symptoms, so she designed a quiz for us. It's been one round a day. She sends the questions out about 10am and you had to get your answers in by 7pm. Georgia Elwiss won last week. About 18 of us did it. I was very happy with my fourth place because my first two rounds were terrible. I drew with the skipper [Heather Knight], so can't complain. Hopefully someone else will do it. Anya Shrubsole has done quizzes on tour before, so maybe she's next for the next England quiz.
One of our young England girls, Sophia Dunkley, had to be in isolation for a week because one of her housemates showed symptoms, so she designed a quiz for us. It's been one round a day. She sends the questions out about 10am and you had to get your answers in by 7pm. Georgia Elwiss won last week. About 18 of us did it. I was very happy with my fourth place because my first two rounds were terrible. I drew with the skipper [Heather Knight], so can't complain. Hopefully someone else will do it. Anya Shrubsole has done quizzes on tour before, so maybe she's next for the next England quiz.
Your parents came to the T20 World Cup to see you play. Are they in isolation as well right now?
Mum and Dad normally live in America, and Dad went straight back from the T20 World Cup in Australia to America. Mum came to England and then America shut the borders. She could have gone back, technically, because she's a resident, but she decided to stay here because my brother was supposed to be getting married in May - though obviously now that's postponed. She's staying here for the foreseeable.
Mum and Dad normally live in America, and Dad went straight back from the T20 World Cup in Australia to America. Mum came to England and then America shut the borders. She could have gone back, technically, because she's a resident, but she decided to stay here because my brother was supposed to be getting married in May - though obviously now that's postponed. She's staying here for the foreseeable.
How's your mum coping being away from home?
She's doing a great job doing all the cooking and cleaning and encouraging me to spring-clean, shall we say. She's good to have around. She's very sociable so it's probably good that she's got a few people to look after, but she is missing Dad and next week is both their birthdays, so I guess it will be the first one they're not together for a while.
She's doing a great job doing all the cooking and cleaning and encouraging me to spring-clean, shall we say. She's good to have around. She's very sociable so it's probably good that she's got a few people to look after, but she is missing Dad and next week is both their birthdays, so I guess it will be the first one they're not together for a while.
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What are you watching on the box?
This week we all sat down and watched Top Gun together and The Greatest Showman a couple of nights later. Also, I have got sucked into that terrible documentary Tiger King, on Netflix.
This week we all sat down and watched Top Gun together and The Greatest Showman a couple of nights later. Also, I have got sucked into that terrible documentary Tiger King, on Netflix.
I tried to watch Tiger King and couldn't get into it. Does it get better?
Well, not really, no. It just gets more and more bizarre - you could not write it. Clearly these people owning tiger parks are just some of the strangest cats on the planet.
Well, not really, no. It just gets more and more bizarre - you could not write it. Clearly these people owning tiger parks are just some of the strangest cats on the planet.
Which team-mate would you most like to be stuck in isolation with?
Maybe Lauren Winfield because she would be really good at sorting out my eyebrows, nails and all of my beauty things that I'm no good at. She's really good at looking after her own and she has plucked my eyebrows before, so she would be pretty good to keep the beauty regime going.
Maybe Lauren Winfield because she would be really good at sorting out my eyebrows, nails and all of my beauty things that I'm no good at. She's really good at looking after her own and she has plucked my eyebrows before, so she would be pretty good to keep the beauty regime going.
And who would you least like to be stuck with?
Not because I don't absolutely love the girl, but Danni Wyatt because you would have to keep forcing her to stay in. She would be itching to go out and kick a football around or go out to the shops. She would need constant entertaining. She can't watch a film the whole way through; she gets bored.
Not because I don't absolutely love the girl, but Danni Wyatt because you would have to keep forcing her to stay in. She would be itching to go out and kick a football around or go out to the shops. She would need constant entertaining. She can't watch a film the whole way through; she gets bored.
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