There’s a big difference between preparing for the Six Nations and preparing for the upcoming summer tournament. For Wales back three Courtney Keight, that difference has been felt in every gym session, every fatigue-laden pitch drill, and every moment spent learning how to perform under pressure.
“In Six Nations camp, it’s all about surviving the block. You’re not going to get loads of adaptations. It’s more about getting through five intense games and recovering as best you can. This has been different. This summer tournament prep has been about lifting heavy, running hard, and going into every session tired. Because that’s where the real adaptations happen.”
This year has been a full pre-season for Courtney, her first in a long time without injury or interruptions. And it’s been a shock to the system. “I haven’t done a proper pre-season in a few years. It’s been brutal. I’ve had days where I couldn’t believe how tired my legs were. But they kept reminding us, this is how it’s meant to feel. You’re meant to be fatigued now, so it feels better when we taper closer to the games.”
Recovery with intention
With so much volume and intensity across this block, recovery has taken a different shape. For Courtney, it’s not always about chasing the perfect protocol. It’s about tuning in to what her body needs and making the most of the tools she trusts. “During Six Nations, recovery was a priority. We were doing everything to feel fresher for the next day. Now, we’re not getting the same time for recovery. But once we move into the next block and start tapering, that’s when I’ll bring back things like BFR and ice baths more consistently.”
She has already seen how small habits can make a big difference. Whether it’s five minutes of compression, a quick yoga flow after travel, or a bike spin to flush heavy legs, she knows what works for her and what to reach for when it matters. “I always pack my Hytro shorts. My foam roller. My massage gun. I’ve got calf sleeves, heat patches, whatever I can bring with me. You do what you can to feel better. And even if it’s just mental, if it helps you feel ready, it’s worth it.”
Making travel work for you
Courtney understands the toll of travel. From long-haul flights to overnight buses, it all adds up. So, she does what she can to control the controllables. “As soon as we landed in South Africa for WXV, we threw on our Hytro shorts and did a yoga session. It helped shake that heavy, tired feeling from the flight. Travel takes it out of you. People forget how much that impacts your body. But if you move, breathe, and recover properly, you feel better, quicker.”
That habit of building recovery into travel is part of what makes Hytro so valuable. It is portable, practical and easy to integrate whether you’re at home, in camp or living out of a suitcase.
Feel-good performance starts with recovery
Courtney plays in the backfield, where speed is everything. If she’s not feeling fresh, it affects how she trains and how she performs. “I need to feel good to play well. If I go into training or a warm-up and something feels tight or off, it plays on my mind. That’s why I make sure I’m activated properly. If I’ve been sat on a bus or I’m feeling heavy, I get moving straight away.”
Even post-match, her recovery is intentional and structured. After a game, she hits the ice bath, gets fuel in, attends the post-match function, then once she’s back at the hotel, she straps into her Hytro shorts.
“I’ll do 15 minutes in bed, five on, two off, while watching the game back. I find it hard to sleep if I haven’t reviewed the match. I overthink. So, I recover and reset. It’s part of my process.”
Confidence, belief, and the Welsh backline
Courtney has recently moved into the centre, a shift that has demanded more physicality and clarity in her role. But it’s one she’s embraced. “I want people to see that I carry hard, that I bring go-forward, that I’m physical. We don’t just want to be a pretty back line that goes wide. We want to be dangerous and unpredictable.”
Confidence, she says, comes from being physically and mentally ready. And this pre-season has helped build both. “We’ve said it as a group. We want to be relentless. We don’t want to score twice and back off. We want to be the side that keeps going.”
Culture and clarity
Courtney credits the team environment for much of her growth. From the clarity around training to the space for individual prep, the structures are now in place to support performance. “We get individual prep time before team warm-up. It’s so important. When I first joined the squad, I’d just throw on my boots and go. But now I need to get warm. I do my speed mechanics, stretch, band work, whatever gets me ready to move well.”
She also values having the freedom to ask questions. For her and many of her teammates, understanding the ‘why’ is just as important as doing the work. “If you tell me to do something, I’ll always ask why. That helps me buy in. I want to know what I’m aiming for, what adaptation I’m chasing. I think that’s something you see a lot with female athletes. Once we know the purpose, we’re all in.”
Built to Outperform
Courtney Keight doesn’t take shortcuts. She has learned to prepare with intent, recover with purpose, and train through fatigue to build resilience. She has embraced discomfort and committed to the process physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Because when speed is your strength, freshness is your foundation. And feeling ready is everything.
Courtney is built to outperform. And with Hytro BFR wearables in her corner, she can recover smarter, move better, and show up for the moments that matter.
Ready to optimise yours or your team’s performance with BFR?
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