November 11, 2026, 7:33 pm | Read time: 5 minutes

From Professional Soccer Player to Professional Chef

Before Ramsay created sinfully delicious dishes or filmed his successful TV series “Hell’s Kitchen,” the Michelin-starred chef actually pursued a career in soccer. The Scotsman was discovered and signed by a scout from the Glasgow Rangers at the age of 15.¹ However, his career didn’t last long, as he had to hang up his boots just three years later. In an interview with “The Athletic,” Ramsay said, “I shattered my cartilage and tore my cruciate ligament in my left knee. At 18, I was on the scrap heap, which was a heavy blow.” Ramsay reports that he was devastated. While all his teammates had made it, he was peeling damn shallots for 400 people in a banquet kitchen. “That hurt, yes, that hurts…,” he says.

Ramsay saw gastronomy as a second chance: “second bite of the cherry.” He studied hotel management and began his cooking career in London before moving to France for a few years. Back in England, he rose to become a successful head chef and later opened his first own restaurant.

Fought Back

One might think that at 60, one would slow down a bit. Not Gordon Ramsay. He steps it up a notch. Just on November 9, he posted on Instagram for his birthday, showcasing his impressive physical condition.

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However, Ramsay told the “Daily Mail” that he wasn’t always in such shape. At a time when his career was already in full swing, he reportedly weighed around 114 kilograms. “Tana [his wife; editor’s note] wasn’t thrilled with how I looked. I was overweight, weighing 114 kilograms.” Looking at old photos, he wondered how his wife put up with him. At that time, Ramsay worked extremely hard, ate irregularly, and had little time for himself. He was also driven by the fear of dying young. His father had died of a heart attack at 53. Ramsay wanted to be there for his children and not suffer the same fate. Looking in the mirror was also a wake-up call: “Holy shit,” he thought at the time.

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Ironman – Love for the Extreme

Sports were not entirely new to Ramsay at this point. He had been running marathons for years, and in 2011, he discovered triathlon. With professional support, he significantly intensified his training. The program included swimming, rowing, core training, and several cycling sessions. There were also long rides of up to 120 kilometers. In 2013, he finally tackled the full Ironman distance in Hawaii: 3.8 kilometers swimming, 180 kilometers cycling, and 42.2 kilometers running. He finished in 14:04:48 hours. By 2015, Ramsay had reportedly lost about 14 kilograms through his training. At a height of 1.88 meters, he weighed about 91 kilograms at the time, and he even stated his competition weight as 86 kilograms.²

Since then, Ramsay is said to have participated in Ironmans repeatedly, most recently the 70.3 Costa Navarino in Greece last year. He completed it with his wife and daughter, finishing in 6:44:38.³

An Ironman 70.3 is half the distance of a classic Ironman. Athletes must cover a total of 113 kilometers: 1.9 kilometers swimming, 90 kilometers cycling, and then a half marathon of 21.1 kilometers. The term “70.3” stands for the total distance in miles.

How Ramsay Trains and Eats for an Ironman

How extreme Ramsay’s training was at times is shown in an interview with “Impact Magazine” from 2015. When a competition was approaching, he reportedly trained up to 25 hours a week. On three days, the alarm went off at four in the morning, and half an hour later, he was in the pool. Seventy-five minutes of swimming were followed by two and a half hours on the bike. During the week, there were also runs of 10 and 20 kilometers, as well as long running and cycling sessions on Saturday. Only Sundays were rest days.

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“I constantly think about food; it helps me get through the swimming, running, and cycling,” Ramsay said in the interview when asked if he got his best ideas while training. And of course, it’s interesting to know what a star chef eats during a training phase. Ramsay relies on five smaller meals a day. In the morning, there are oats or muesli, along with protein-rich foods like poached fish and chicken. He cuts back on dairy products during intense training phases because he feels more alert and focused without them. But even a star chef turns to classic sports nutrition like energy bars, chews (soft candies), and carbohydrate gels during long runs or bike rides.