Tri Talking Sport: Recent Episodes
Joanne Murphy
Tri Talking Sport, the podium podcast for Athletes, Adventurers and Endurance Enthusiasts presented by Joanne Murphy.
Anna Grealish is the Women in Sport and Youth Programme Lead with Triathlon Ireland, she has been involved in the sport of triathlon for many years, initially as an athlete and for the past nine years as an integral staff member of the Governing Body in Ireland. Returning to racing last year following the birth of her youngest child she shares lots of insight into her role within Triathlon Ireland and some of the many projects she has been involved with.
Coach, coach developer and a driver of change, she has worked in the area of triathlon development with clubs, schools, juniors, age group athletes and coaches to develop and grow the sport of triathlon in Ireland. Anna has been central to the development of the Tri Heroes and Tri Captains programmes for young athletes. With a particular passion for women in sport she leads the women in sport programme for Triathlon Ireland and was elected to the Europe Triathlon Development Committee three years ago, subsequently leading on a number of European projects.
As an athlete Anna enjoyed a wealth of success; National Duathlon Champion in 2011, she was the 2013 winner of Hell of the West and winner of the Triathlon Ireland National Series in the same year. Racing at home and abroad she clocked up an impressive number of podium finishes across a variety of duathlon and triathlon races over the years, her most recent podium finish was at Lough Cutra Castle Triathlon Sprint Race in May of this year.
Away from triathlon, Anna and her husband Máirtín have a busy household with three children, Saoirse, Jude and Annie all under 8 years of age. Sadly in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, Anna endured profound personal losses and grief, losing her mum to cancer and shortly after baby Joseph was unexpectedly stillborn at 38 weeks, both devastating losses for Anna, Máirtín and their extended families.
In this episode of the podcast Anna courageously shares her story with us on how she coped with the compounded trauma following the death of her mum and her baby, turning to sport and physical activity as a means of healing and dealing with the grief she experienced. This episode may be triggering for some listeners, but Anna's resilience and story is very powerful and may be of help to others.
Olympian David Gillick is the Irish 400m indoor and outdoor record holder and two-time 400m European Champion who has dedicated a huge portion of his life to his sport on the running track, representing club and country on the world stage.
His sporting career as an elite athlete saw him make history when he won Ireland's first sprint Gold Medal in 76 years at the 2005 European Indoor Championships. He retained that title in 2007 and in 2008 he fulfilled his dream of becoming an Olympian. The following year he competed at the Berlin World Championships finishing 6th in the 400m final, fulfilling another significant goal he had set himself in sport. His successful athletics career was speckled with some disappointment and injury along the way, and when you consider the minute margins between winning a race and not winning over 400m you can only imagine the intense pressure cooker within which athletes at this level perform.
Wrapping up his career as an elite athlete in 2013, David moved from the bubble of his life as a full time athlete with all the structure, routine and training that his life involved, into the 'real world' and struggled to come to terms with his life beyond sport. He has openly shared his struggles with his mental health and the importance of getting back to sport for him and back to running, to what he really loves. This October he will take on his second marathon at the Irish Life Dublin City Marathon.
Winner of Celebrity Masterchef and one of three finalists in RTE's Ultimate Hell Week the father of three is a two time best selling author who is passionate about sport, food, promoting a healthy body and mind and has become a vocal advocate on mental health. This chat with David is both insightful and enjoyable as he provides a glimpse into his life in the world of sports and beyond.
Taking up triathlon at the age of sixteen, the now thirty-one-year-old has successfully raced triathlon at home and abroad and despite the rollercoaster, she has been on in life and sport she has picked herself up, dusted herself off and kept going when the going got tough.
Battling physical and mental struggles with food and her health it is a wonder she is still training and racing, however she simply loves triathlon, it is part of her DNA as is sport. Grit, stubbornness, determination and passion are key attributes required for success in sport and Ailbhe Carroll has all of this in abundance, add in her positive outlook, fun and bubbly personality and it's a great recipe for success.
This episode provides a powerful insight into her life as an athlete and the struggles she faced with her health both in the past couple of years and also as she recovers from two bike crashes in quick succession in recent weeks which ended her 2022 season prematurely.
He was the first athlete to win both the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in the same year in 2011, is the recipient of an Order of Australia Medal for service to sport and the community and earlier this year became an IRONMAN in Australia Hall of Fame inductee.
One of the greatest ever triathletes, his softly spoken and gentle manner give no indication of the level of tenacity, commitment and determination it took for him to reach the top of the sport and stay there for many years. From his first professional race in 1995 right through to his retirement in 2014, Craig found another gear, another level and was not afraid to dig deeper and deeper into the hurt locker to succeed in a sport that he is eternally passionate about and grateful for the career and success it has afforded him.
Now retired from professional sport, he still races, albeit sparingly and maintains a high level of fitness. In 2019 he won the Australian Long Course Championships aged 46, twenty years after capturing his first National Championship Title. He spends his time with his family, supporting them and many of his children's sporting endeavours as a father and a coach. He is an author, broadcaster and shortly after retirement from professional sport launched his own training, health and lifestyle brand, Sansego which keeps him busy, as well as being an ambassador for a variety events, brands, charitable causes and foundations, his passion for sport knows no bounds.
This is a super chat with a simply incredible person, the show is longer than normal so maybe fill the kettle rather than just making one cuppa and chill out whilst you are inspired, educated and motivated by one of the all-time greats of triathlon and sport.
An incredible achievement for the author, advocate, coach and all-round inspirational athlete who has achieved more in sport than many of us can only dream of. In addition to her fourteen IRONMAN World Champion titles, she is a four-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, a WTC Female Athlete of the Year, A multiple USA Triathlon Female Grandmaster of the Year, An Inductee to the USAT Hall of Fame and in 2020 was inducted into the Port Angeles High School Athletic Hall of Fame for her success in Badminton.
Cherie truly embraces the life of an athlete, living and breathing the sport of triathlon. When she is not training for her own races she is using her passion, dedication and commitment to triathlon to help change the lives of children in inner-city San Bernardino in California. The Exceeding Expectations Foundation which Cherie founded has for 20 years been encouraging at-risk children to move their lives in a positive direction, using the sport of triathlon as the vehicle.
Cherie is softly spoken, yet her tenacity, courage and determination is stronger than many people half her age. She is a shining star in sport and in life, her age may be slowing her down physically in sport but her appetite for life and for success shows no signs of slowing down. She may have made her final appearance on the finish line in Kona in 2022, but we can expect to see her on plenty more finish lines before she stops racing altogether. This is a truly inspiring episode of the podcast and if you ever thought you couldn't do something or that you are too old to try something new then, Cherie is the epitome of 'you can do anything you set your mind to, you just have to give it a try'.
In August 2021, Nathan was leading the British National Triathlon Championships when he suffered life changing injuries in an accident during the cycling portion of the race. The injuries sustained were so severe it was touch and go on the side of the road immediately after the accident and indeed it was touch and go for Nathan for the first few weeks in hospital as he embarked on an incredible journey of recovery and rehabilitation.
Told by doctors he would never walk again the prognosis for Nathan was bleak, he spent over half a year in hospital, 14 weeks of that time in a halo brace. At times the will to give up was stronger than the will to survive, but somehow he managed to pull himself out of the darkness. Inspired by his wife Catrin, his athletes on Team NFT and the huge outpouring of support received from at home and abroad, Nathan found the courage and strength to fight back, to fight for his life to fight to be the best version of himself for the future whatever that future might hold.
Fast forward to a little over a year after his accident and Nathan is working hard, extremely hard EVERY Day to make improvements in his mobility, dexterity and aspects of life that many of us take for granted. His tenacity, fighting spirit and determination have paid off as he is every day defying the odds and is quite literally a miracle man, his athlete mindset driving him forward bit by bit every day.
This is a fascinating episode of the podcast and may for some be upsetting in parts, Nathan is incredible, there are few words that can do him justice in describing what he has achieved in his fight for his life, he really is a true inspiration. If you would like to support his journey to recovery and help him please check out his go fund me page on the link HERE.
Tom was the third fastest age group athlete at IRONMAN UK last year and in 2019 he was fifth fastest overall and second in his age group at IRONMAN UK earning him a hard-earned and coveted slot for the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona.
Taking up triathlon seven years ago or so, he raced IRONMAN UK in 2015, as a 'one and done' but he is far from done! He did take a bit of a break from racing triathlon to focus on cycling in recent years, where he has also had significant success, however, he missed the fun, camaraderie and friendship of training and racing with his friends and teammates at Tri Preston and so has returned to triathlon. With consistency in training some great training partners and steely determination Tom has enjoyed super fast times and significant improvements in performance in recent years.
2022 was a big year for Tom, despite a late start to his triathlon season, it has been his most successful to date, breaking the tape at IRONMAN 70.3 Cork was the icing on the cake. In this episode, we get some insight into Tom's approach to training and racing whilst working a forty-hour-a-week job as well as balancing family life with his wife Kerry and two children Evelyn and Sophie – who join us on the show for a couple of minutes.
Together Tom and Kerry are embracing triathlon as a way of life for their family, Tom may be the athlete standing at the start line of a race but Kerry is a key part of Tom's success and together they enjoy and endure the sport of triathlon and long-distance racing as a team.
An outpouring of love, support and gratitude was shared across the world for Mike after his announcement, much deserved for the man who in Kona, Hawaii coined the phrase, YOU are an IRONMAN, four words that have become synonymous with triathlon, endurance sport and of course with IRONMAN.
Mike has called thousands of athletes across the finish line across a multitude of triathlon and endurance events around the world over the past 40 years but the four words that mean the most and have inspired athletes around the globe are those sacred ones he says after an athlete completes an IRONMAN of a 3.8k swim, 180k bike ride and 42.2k run - You are An IRONMAN.
In this episode, Mike gets a lovely surprise to see and hear some familiar faces from his IRONMAN Announcer Ohana (Family) who drop in from around the world to share some memories and stories of fun times with Mike over the years. Huge thanks to Paul Kaye, Eric Gilsenan, Pete Murray, Whit Raymond, Alain Cyr and Tony Lugo for joining the live show and making it extra special.
Mike may be hanging up his IRONMAN microphone at the end of this season, but his legacy on the IRONMAN finish line will go on forever.
In this episode, the athletes share some of their backgrounds in sport, from GAA and athletics to swimming, badminton and hockey. They give us some insight into their race and experience in Cork, from their individual highlights to the epic nature of Windmill Hill to advice for people taking on either the 70.3 or Full Distance event in the future.
All four athletes have been successful in the sport of triathlon from race wins, to overall age group podiums, World Championship qualification and everything in between. Deidre, Ellen, Graham and Enda are all high achievers in sport who have worked hard to get that sporting success whilst holding down full-time jobs and balancing life outside of triathlon, which for many age group athletes is very difficult to achieve.
This is a great episode of the podcast giving you a flavour of what it takes to not only race well in Cork and beyond but also how to enjoy the experience of stepping up to middle and long-distance triathlon and get the most out of yourself and your performance for a result that you can be proud of regardless of the distance.
Taking up cycling and indeed ultra-cycling in recent years, she has completed the Joe Barr 200 twice and the TJB Coastal 330 as well as taking on the Wicklow 200. She took part in the Donegal Ultra 555k as part of a 4 person team so was no stranger to hills, hard cycling and long days in the saddle for this challenge despite only taking on her first solo ultra event in 2018.
Similar to the hills of Donegal, Patricia's training ground; her life before cycling was filled with massive ups and downs, but the biggest uphill battle for her was becoming sober and building a new life from the depths of depression and despair.
In this episode, Patricia bravely shares some insight into her life, her resilience and courage shining through. The friendship, camaraderie and sense of purpose the whole new world of cycling has given her, it is no surprise that she loves being on her bike and part of such a supportive community, and in her own words, she says 'Cycling Saved My Life '.
Gabriel's curiosity and fascination with exploring and adventure has seen him take on an Arctic Circle Expedition as well as an epic 3,200 km cycling adventure on the EuroVelo this year. His enthusiasm and cando attitude, along with his genuine interest in people and helping them succeed will have you signing up to your own adventure before you have time to say the words freedom and fun.
Humble in his approach, taking adversity in his stride, he is one of the good guys and, if you are planning to take on your own adventure or step outside your comfort zone to achieve something you previously thought impossible, then this episode might just be the one to encourage you to go and find your self confidence and belief in yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to.
Working as a speech and language therapist in the NRH in Dublin, sport is not only her passion but it's also her outlet for fun, socialising and delivering some standout performances including; runner-up placings in the Triathlon Ireland National Series in 2018 and 2019. She went on to win the Triathlon Ireland National Duathlon Series in 2019 and was runner-up in the Duathlon National Championships that year. Winner of the Hardman Bantry Middle Distance race in 2020 and Hardman Waterville Middle Distance race in 2021 she successfully executed a great performance in only her third middle distance race at IRONMAN 70.3 Marbella in May of this year to finish as fastest female age group athlete on the day stamping her ticket to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Utah later this year.
Racing her bike as part of the All Human VeloRevolution cycling team since 2020, her cycling trophy cabinet is also bursting at the seams with the Team prize at The 2020 National Cycling Championships. In 2021 she was second in the Cycling Ireland National Road Series, the Irish National Hill Climb Championships, and took home runner-up in the Best Irish Rider Classification at Rás na mBan.
Coached by Olympian Gavin Noble of HupHup, a former guest on the show on episode number 50, Becky is thriving in triathlon and with her spot secured for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in UTAH in October, her eyes are firmly on a solid performance in the States and similar to her training partner Hilary Hughes, Becky may seek to secure her pro card post World Championships. An exciting prospect not only for Becky but also for the sport of triathlon in Ireland as these female athletes represent not only themselves, their club and country on the International stage but they provide the inspiration and example for others to follow as they embark on their own personal journeys in sport.
Becky's passion for life, sport and fun is infectious, her positive outlook and determination to succeed coupled with her desire to never stand still, has seen her thrive and achieve her sporting goals and ambitions from a young age, and I have no doubt there is a lot more success to come for Becky Woods in the future. Watch this space.
With 24 hours of cycling around the 3.4km (approx.) track, riders could race as a solo, two, four or eight-person team for the event. I was thrilled but apprehensive to have been selected as a rider for the Cycling Ireland Women's Commission who had entered a team of eight riders from across a diverse background of ability and experience into the event.
In this episode you will meet our team riders: Emma, Keela, Sharon, Hannah, Dearbhlá, Laura and Grace along with our team managers Alison and Colin who share lots of insight to our weekend of racing from the build-up and training to logistics, fuelling, racing full gas, recovery and of course the craic from the track!
It was one of the best weekends of the year so far, as you will hear on the show, the cycling was intense but the laughter and camaraderie was mighty! We had a great weekend of fun, friendship and fast racing. A big shout out to all the riders and crew who support them, to take part in the second edition of Mondello24. The event this year was just as exciting as the October edition of last year with lots of riders returning to test their metal over 24 hours as a solo or two-person team having participated in larger teams last year, others participated for the first time this year and embraced the challenge that lay ahead!
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the event with a special mention to the solo riders and especially to the girls racing solo at the event! There was great excitement on and off the track, I was very lucky to experience both sides of the track this year as a rider and as part of the Mondello crew announcing the event and taking over their Instagram for the 24 hours of the event. There was lots of talking and cycling done over the weekend.
If anyone tuning in to the show is interested in taking part next year please get in touch and we can share more insight and tips on how to enjoy rather than endure this super ultra-cycling event! Well done again to everyone who raced, roll on Mondello24 in 2023!
Her journey has ebbed and flowed along the way, but Katie has powered through each obstacle, winning multiple medals and accolades, Katie represents Ireland in the PR2 W1x category and is a member of Galway Rowing Club, she previously rowed for UCD, whilst studying to become a Vet, her second passion in life, rowing being her first.
She took up rowing in 2013, after successfully rowing for a number of years she took a break during her college years and upon her return has once again begun to excel in the sport. She won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, prior to that she finished 6th in the A Final in the World Rowing Cup in 2013 in Eton, she has also won gold at the Henley Women's Regatta and at the Home International Regatta and has also set two world records on ERG, the first in 2015 over 1km the second over 2k in 2021.
Katie's positive attitude and passion for success sees no stone unturned in the pursuit of her goals in sport and in life. Her determination is fierce and her focus is fixed, there is no stopping her, she is a star on the rise and this Galway girl is going all in on her pursuit of a gold medal at Paris 2024.
A European and World Champion and in 2016 at the Rio Olympic she secured Ireland's first medal in sailing since 1980. She became the Female World Champion at the Moth Worlds in July 2017 and later that year joined the ' Turn the Tide on Plastic Team, for an adventure of a lifetime in the Volvo Ocean Race.
In recent times, Annalise has been tearing up the tarmac, trails and gravel on her bike taking podium spots across a variety of bike races, she is one to watch as she has already demonstrated a natural talent for cycling, racing and going full gas on two wheels. Her cycling successes include finishing 5th in the National TT Champs in 2021. She also finished second in the Galway Classic behind Eve McCrystal a few weeks ago and last week was crowned champion of the Orwell Wheelers Women's League.
Currently studying for an MBA in Trinity, removed from the constraints of life as a full time athlete, Annalise has been embracing her love of sport, adventure, fun and people to the maximum. Highly competitive in nature, dedicated and committed to her craft, tenacious and ambitious, yet humble in her success, the world is at her fingertips. In this episode she shares a fascinating insight into her life that will give you plenty of food for thought as you embark on your next challenge or adventure, whatever that may be.
This is a special edition and bonus episode of Tri Talking Sport where Helen Murray, host of The Inside Tri Show and I collaborated on a special one-hour live show called the ' Tri Commute' on Friday 20th May, celebrating some of the fastest long-distance triathletes in the world! Our guests on the night were; Kat Matthews, Ruth Astle, Laura Siddall, Fenella Langridge, Nikki Bartlett and Hilary Hughes. This is a supercharged power hour of insight, inspiration, entertainment and great conversation all whilst having fun!
Other notable results includeNational Middle Distance Champion 2019 and 2021, National Duathlon Champion 2021, Individual Pursuit Champion 2018. At the Ironman 70.3 World Championships held in St. George last year she placed 3rd in her age group and has had multiple Age Group Wins across Ironman Lanzarote 2021, Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote and Ironman 70.3 Dublin in 2019.
Coupling her passion for medicine and her love of sport Hilary has been on a journey of juggling time, training and energy in recent years to be the best she can be in both her professional and sporting career. Taking time out from medicine to focus on her sporting career was a big decision and one she didn't take lightly but one that clearly has paid dividends in terms of her racing performance. Her passion for sport is infectious as is her laugh, this episode of the podcast provides a glimpse into Hilary's life as she shares plenty of nuggets of inspiration that are sure to fire up your own passion and energy for your chosen sport.
We laughed our way through this episode, but behind the laughter and the fun stories, Hilary Hughes is a determined, courageous and spirited athlete who will leave no stone unturned or any preparation to chance as she goes all in to be the best athlete she can be! Watch this space, there's a whole other chapter to be written by Hilary as she embraces her life in sport in the coming years.
A two time National Marathon Champion, taking the 2018 title at the Dublin Marathon and the 2021 title at the Belfast Marathon whilst also winning this race outright, he is no stranger to being crowned a National Champion. He has 11 national titles to his name, the most recent of these, his second at the 10k distance at the Great Ireland Run in March 2022.
Hampered by a niggling injury over the past few years, the pandemic brought about an opportunity for Mick to step back and take time out to get the strains and at the time an unknown stress fracture healed. He is now getting back into his stride and is on track to being back at full tilt in time for this year's Dublin Marathon in October where he will aim to defend his National Marathon Championship title and go faster than his marathon PB of 2:13:19 set in Dublin in 2019.
With a young son at home and new arrival due in July, Mick loves spending time outdoors with his family, with his running clients for whom he is a coach, or with his club mates on a run, or more likely competing against them in a race. The key to his success? Consistency in training, getting the balance right in terms of training, racing, lifestyle and having fun. Mick alongside his coach Dick Hooper work in partnership to deliver the results we consistently see Mick achieve and, although not every race has gone his way, when Mick Clohisey is on the start line of a race you know you are going to see some superb running and a great result.
Embracing the tri life, sport has become a huge part of his every day. He has raced nine IRONMAN events since first dipping his toes into long-distance triathlon in Mallorca in 2014, his so-called ' one and done' plan quickly put to the back of his head after enjoying the challenge of going long. Catching the IRONMAN bug he has gone on to race in Lanzarote, Wales, Barcelona and raced at Kona in 2017 finishing sub 10 on the Big Island. In just a few short weeks he will race in Lanzarote before heading to Kona once again to embrace the island and the 2022 World Championship event.
He has coached multiple IRONMAN finishers, World Championship qualifiers, race winners, ITU national representatives and some of the most talented age group triathletes across the country. Dad to 4 children he juggles daily life with his wife Roisin in Newry who is a coach and member of Newry Triathlon Club. He is the resident coach on the Team RWB Monday night social Zwift spins where we spin away an hour on the turbo every Monday night from 7:30pm.
In this episode, Oliver shares his journey in sport, his passion for chasing goals himself and supporting his athletes to do the same. He gives us some top tips for embracing your race, from training and race day prep to getting your fuelling right and the importance of having fun and enjoying the process of getting not only to the race start line but most importantly the finish line.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games athlete has had some superb results since taking up triathlon in 2010, including being crowned the National Sprint Distance Champion in 2016 at just 17 years of age. He finished 3rd U23 male at the 2019 ETU Aquathlon European Championships finishing in 6th place overall in the ELITE men's race on the day.
It's not just triathlon that James has excelled, his swimming and running results are also very impressive. From a young age he has shown great depth and power to his performance and ability in sport. In 2020 he was both the Ulster and Northern Ireland 5k and 10k Champion, which are both impressive in their own right, however it hasn't been plain sailing to the podium for James. Having endured no less than eight, yes eight stress fractures in his foot in recent years it is a wonder he hasn't thrown in the towel on sport or indeed on triathlon, but he continues to remain highly motivated, committed and determined to succeed in the sport that he has in recent years fallen in love with.
We have seen some great results from James Edgar but I believe the best is yet to come and with the amount of 'hard graft' as he says himself, consistency in his training, his approach to life as an athlete, coupled with his can do and will do attitude, we will see his appetite for success building to deliver many more great days and results across swim, bike and run.
Taking on the mammoth task in May of this year they are each no stranger to uphill battles be it in sport or in life. Damian, a former guest on the podcast is an avid extreme adventurer, and explorer whose fascination with exploring the world has seen him embark on quite a few life-changing adventures. Listen to his episode (No 12) on the podcast to get a glimpse into his life of adventure and ability to push his boundaries to the extreme. Fergus has bravely fought a battle for his life after an accident in 2018 left him with a 5% chance of ever walking again, but battle he did. He fought hard to overcome the challenges and obstacles he faced in recovery in learning to walk again. Setting small goals along the way he achieved his primary goal of being able to walk and just one year after his accident walked from Athenry in Galway to the NRH in Dublin, a journey of 206km on foot that would see him achieve a massive goal that he had set himself only weeks after his accident had left him with little hope of ever setting two feet on the ground again.
Together Damian and Fergus are a formidable force, focused and determined, they have left no stone unturned in their quest to row home from America. With one eye on the successful crossing of the ocean the other eye is on a World Record that although hasn't been broken for over 100 years could just be within their reach. Regardless of the record, with a little luck and some kind weather from mother nature, a successful row across the 4937.47km of the North Atlantic will see them enter the ocean rowing history books and they will be the talk of their home town of Galway for many years to come, leaving a lasting legacy for others to follow and be inspired by.
Mia, a former Kilkenny Camogie player came to cycling through the Cycling Ireland Talent Transfer programme and swapped her hurley and sliotar on the GAA pitch for a bike, fast racing, an indoor track just five years ago and has never looked back. Alice is a swimmer, turned triathlete, who took to crit racing before trying her hand at track racing. Both cyclists now race as part of the Irish Track cycling team and as part of team IBCT on both the road and the track.
Alice a former National Irish Road Champion in 2019 and Mia who won Bronze in the Individual pursuit in the U23 European Track Championships in 2020 are part of the Irish Team who claimed a bronze medal in the 4km Women's Team Pursuit at the European Track Cycling Championships in Switzerland last year setting a new National Record in the process along with team mates Kelly Murphy and Emily Kay.
Currently based in Belgium, Mia and Alice are living, training and racing together as they pursue their passion for cycling and focus on getting to Paris in 2024. The team mates have a friendship and camaraderie that sees them encourage, inspire and support each other to be the best that they can be in sport and in life. Watch this space! The Irish girls are powering up the pedals to go full gas pursuit of their goals and dreams.
In June of last year she raced in the Europe Triathlon Aquathlon Championships where she took home a bronze medal in the Elite Women's race and a silver medal in the U23 Women's race, an important result for the then 20-year-old Newtownards athlete who is hoping to secure a start at the Commonwealth Games later this year and has her eyes firmly set on Olympic qualification for Paris 2024.
Other impressive results include Sprint Triathlon National Champion Elite and Junior Women in 2019, she finished 3rd in the Triathlon Ireland Aquathlon National Championships in the same year. In 2018 she took home the silver medal in the Triathlon Ireland Elite Women's Sprint Triathlon National Championships and claimed the bronze medal in Bucharest in the ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup.
Balancing her training, college life and working to support the pursuit of her ambitious sporting goals is almost a full-time job itself, but she has fully committed to chasing her goals and living the lifestyle to support them. Erin Mc Connell is a dedicated and determined athlete, behind her steely determination is also a desire to have fun and enjoy the process, embracing the opportunity to follow a passion for a sport that she enjoys to the full. Watch this space, Erin, has the world at her feet and is ready to soar and fly the flag for her club and country on the International stage.
Other accolades held by Eoin include being crowned the 24 hour and six-day Irish running champion. As well as placing fifth in the World 24 Hour Running Championships, he has also finished fourth in the European Championships. In May 2017 he set a world record by running the entire length of Ireland, 555km from Mizen Head to Malin Head, in three days, three hours and 47 minutes, taking 12 hours off the previous record held for this feat.
From mountain running to adventure racing, marathons to multi-day endurance running events, Eoin Keith has firmly placed himself as a name synonymous with success in endurance sport and a name to be reckoned with. When you stand on the start line up against Eoin it's not just his fitness, running and endurance ability that you are battling, you are racing against an athlete who tactically and strategically is one of the sharpest on the circuit. His mental resilience, preparation and attention to detail, coupled with his ability to suffer make him the strong and successful athlete he is today.
This is another great episode of the podcast packed full of insight with a glimpse into what it takes to go to battle on some of the toughest running races in the world and come out on top!
The team of Ger Kennedy, Dave Berry, Declan Bradshaw, Vincent Donegan, Colm Morris and Niamh McCarthy share their tales from the epic expedition in this episode of the podcast. With insights on the intensity of their training and preparation for the event as well as sharing stories from the swim and the adventure that unfolded as they made the crossing.
Starting in the dark at 06:56 on the morning of the 14th January, they made land in Scotland as the Flower of Scotland boomed from the boat after 12:51:35 of swimming. A poignant, emotional and historic moment not only for the swimmers but for their crew on board, on land, their families at home and the many supporters powering every swim stroke with their well wishes and generous donations to the Gavin Glynn Foundation who as of today have generated over €45,000 from the swim which in itself is an incredible achievement.
This episode is both insightful and entertaining, the positivity, camaraderie and can do attitude of the six swimmers, make it no surprise that they successfully crossed the North Channel in Winter becoming the first team ever to do so.
Whilst most of the rest of us were wondering if it was still ok to eat a selection box before lunch or if it was too early in the morning at 11am to have a Baileys coffee, Mark was embarking on personal challenge to complete 3 hours of swimming, 12 hours of cycling and 9 hours of running to give him a total of 24 hours moving time in 27 hours across swim, bike and run.
Following the disappointment of the cancellation of IRONMAN Cork in 2021 due to Covid19 and on the back of a cancer diagnosis received by his dad last year, Mark turned his disappointment of the race cancellation to dedication and spurred on by the opportunity to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society, he set about training for his biggest and most difficult endurance event to date.
A multiple Dublin Marathon finisher he stepped into the world of triathlon and long distance triathlon when the inaugural IRONMAN Ireland took place in Youghal in 2019. Bitten by the triathlon bug he had big plans to race the event again along with his fellow tri club members at South Coast Triathlon the following year, but alas it was not meant to be.
As we all know Youghal and its people embraced IRONMAN in 2019, the spectator support at the event was incredible. Despite the weather with athletes battling the conditions capturing the hearts of the gathered crowds, the people of Youghal provided the warmest of welcomes on a day where you would have been drier and warmer had you stood in the sea for an hour!
This New Year it was Mark Coady who captured the hearts of the local community with his 24 hour triathlon as people came out to support his efforts. Battling horrendously wet and cold weather conditions his mind and body, although tired, were strong to the end. Supported by a wonderful crew of family, friends, fellow tri club members and the wider community he completed his challenge with a smile on his face despite what he had just achieved.
In this episode we catch a glimpse of those 24 hours of swim, bike and run, getting the inside track on the training and preparation required to embark on the challenge with details on how the day unfolded as Mark went all in to deliver a very special day not only for himself and his family but for the people of Youghal.
Taking up triathlon in her early 40s, the mum of four has been participating in triathlon and adventure sport for over 20 years. Embracing triathlon she has completed over 11 full distance and at least 20 middle distance races, raced at both the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships and the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona and has in more recent times ventured into the world of extreme sport completing the Yukon Arctic Races on foot and by bike on multiple occasions.
In 2015 she was the first woman from Europe to complete the 430 mile Yukon Arctic Race by bike. She has completed adventure races, 24 hour races, obstacle races, relays of many different kinds, 10ks and half marathons since first dipping her toes into the world of endurance sport. She has also won her age group in the 100m freestyle at the GB Winter Swimming Championships in 2017 and 2018, one of her personal sporting highlights. With plans to race at the Yukon Arctic again and complete an ice mile she has some big goals on the horizon for 2022.
But it's not just participating in sport that Pat has embraced, with a very strong faith she has coupled her love of God with her love of sport and has for many years been the woman behind the IRON PRAYER at IRONMAN UK and now she supports numerous events as the chaplin at home and abroad, something that brings her great joy and connection with fellow athletes.
Pat's fun and unassuming nature shine through in this episode as we talk about some of her adventures in sport. Underneath it all she is a tough cookie with an incredible amount of steely strength and determination. With her own personal battles, she continues to find ways to adapt and endure so she can embrace her love of sport and adventure. At 65 years of age Pat Cooke -Rogers is not slowing down, she's only getting started!
Based in Monaco, he is the son of one of Ireland's most prolific and accomplished cyclists Stephen Roche. Nico carved his own way in the sport of cycling, with natural talent, a tenacious attitude, determination and hard work, he has had an incredible career on two wheels and enjoyed lots of success on the bike at home and abroad. In October this year Nico retired from professional cycling and is now venturing into the next chapter of his career.
Since this episode was recorded Nico has been announced as a participant in this year’s Dancing with the Stars in Ireland, swapping his bike for his dancing shoes and lycra for some glitter, getting his retirement from professional cycling off to a dazzling start!
With such a high profile, lots of Nico's life, results and success on the bike has already been documented and aired extensively. In this episode we take a road slightly less travelled in getting to know Nico whilst also getting an insight into his life both on and off the road.
Cycling however isn't Cormac's first love, no as a GAA mad sports fan it was life with a sliotar and hurley that Cormac had envisaged for himself, with dreams of playing for the Dublin Senior Intercounty team. Whilst well on the way to achieving that goal playing on the u18 Dublin team, life dealt him a cruel blow in the form of a heart condition that saw his GAA sporting dreams shattered at the age of 18 when he was fitted with a pacemaker.
After some time he was able to return to the sport he loved and aim for intercounty hurling success once again. However, it was during this part of his sporting journey that his story takes another twist and despite his aspirations and appetite for sport, an eating disorder that developed over years stopped him in his tracks. Thankfully Cormac sought help for his illness this year and after some intensive treatment was given the go ahead to take on his mammoth trek from Achill to Athens with his cousin Stephen Ryan and great friend Niall O' Donnell.
In this episode we get an insight into Cormac's life in sport, his honest account of his eating disorder and how it affected him mentally, physically and emotionally in recent years. We also get a glimpse of what life was like on the road for 58 days on the bike, the highs and lows of the journey and what he is most proud of in accomplishing that epic adventure.
Cormac was part of an RTE documentary two weeks ago called Unspoken where he alongside two others shared their story and battle with an eating disorder, it is well worth checking out if you can. As mentioned in the podcast Cormac is raising funds for Bodywhys: The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland and Pieta House, you can support his fundraising on the link HERE. I really enjoyed chatting with Cormac and learned a lot from the episode, I hope you do to. I look forward to meeting Cormac in person at some stage and sharing the road with him on a cycling adventure in the future, although maybe not one that lasts for 58 days!
His injuries from being body checked included 8 brain bleeds including an 8mm bleed. Robson had to relearn how to complete some of the most basic tasks we take for granted including writing, talking and simply moving. Classified as having a traumatic brain injury, Robson vowed to become the worlds' best TBI patient with aspirations to race at the IRONMAN World Championships.
It was a difficult journey physically, emotionally and mentally and despite some of the medical professionals giving him little hope of ever returning to a 'normal life', Robson has defied the odds to pursue his passion for sport and insatiable appetite for life, crossing the finish line of IRONMAN Portugal on Saturday the 23rd of October this year, 2,074 days after his world almost stopped turning. I met Robson for the first time in Cascais and was fascinated by his story, tenacity and sheer determination to never give up.
Sometimes inspiration can come into your life at the most unusual of times and in an array of situations, and I know, I know it's such a cliché to say but Robson is the epitome of anything is possible and although we only scratch the surface of what his road to recovery was like in this chat, this is a super episode of the podcast. If you, like me, are fascinated by his story, be sure to check out his 8MM squad on www.8MMSquad.com.
Having originally planned to participate in the Race Around Ireland Ultra in 2021, when this event fell victim to Covid she jumped at the chance to race in Mondello. No stranger to endurance racing events she has completed multiple, sprint, olympic and middle distance triathlons and has also completed IRONMAN Barcelona. In recent years she has been fascinated with endurance cycling and has been chomping at the bit to complete a solo endurance cycling race.
The catalyst and driving force behind the set up of our Galway Baybes cycling team with myself, Bríd Neachtain and Marie Boyle she has embraced endurance cycling in the past few years and has really focused on going solo and going long since our Race Around Ireland and Donegal Ultra success in 2017 and 2018.
Balancing her home, work and training life in a busy household, to get to the startline in great shape was as much a challenge as getting around the 24 hour race. But, her meticulous planning, dedication and focus on her goal along with the unrelenting support of her husband Noel, her sons Cormac, Dylan and Jack along with her colleagues at Fat Tony's and fellow Galway Tri Club members saw her in the shape of her life to fly solo in Mondello and successfully soar to be crowned the queen of the track.
Rounding up her experienced crew of Padraic Benson, Pat Dirrane, Damien Moloney, Brid Neachtain and myself she was in great hands for her first solo adventure and we had plenty of fun during the Mondello 24 Cycle. I know that we are all incredibly proud of what Karen has achieved and are looking forward to finally getting together to celebrate her success.
A cardiac scan as part of a requirement to race with a triathlon team in France saw her sidelined when it was discovered she had a blood clot and was facing some scary health issues. Navigating her way through the journey back to full health, dealing with the implications of her condition and the loss of sport was not an easy road. However, she has come out the other side, guns blazing with a can and will do attitude, that has seen her on seven podiums in seven triathlon races this season in some cases on back to back days across back to back weekends.
Some of her key results this year include; triathlon wins in Sligo, Rosslare & Ballyhass, finishing within the top 10 male standings in all races. She took Silver in the National Elite Sprint Championship and Bronze in the National Elite Olympic Distance Championships, as well as winning the aforementioned King of Greystones Triathlon.
Last year as she returned to racing post-illness, she had success on the bike and the running track. Taking to ZWIFT she competed in Cycling Irelands' first-ever national ZWIFT league, won numerous races in the league and held the women's jersey for multiple weeks. She also competed in Cycling Ireland road races taking wins at Knockaderry and Corkagh Park. She competed in the Athletics Ireland Track Nationals last year in the 5km placing in the top 15 in the country. Rounding off her 2020 season she raced her first international race in Germany for Team Hagen in the Bundesliga Elite Triathlon league where she placed 35th overall.
With big goals and aspirations for the future both in sport and with her medical career, the future is bright and busy for Shannon Kelly, with a strong belief in working hard and reaping the rewards of that hard work she is fully committed to achieving those goals and in her own words she says ' I go get it, I love racing, I love triathlon, I love sport'
Kickstarting his ultra-cycling career with the Race Around Ireland in 2009, it has been a roller coaster of a ride with many mountains and kilometres climbed to get to where he is today in his ultra-cycling career. Toeing the start line of the Race Around Ireland on numerous occasions since his first attempt at the event he has dealt with the lows of a number of disappointing DNF's and the highs of finishing on the podium in both the Full and Ultra distance events.
With a 2nd & 3rd place in both the Full and Ultra events at Race Around Ireland, he has his target set to make it to the top step of the podium in the Ultra race in 2022 after what might be considered a breakthrough season this year.
Crippled with stomach issues and a knee that gives him plenty of bother whilst racing, that has both, in turn, affected his performances over the years, he has through the intervention and guidance of performance nutritionist Jillian Mooney found some relief for his stomach issues that have seen him perform at the level this season that he knew he was capable of. This Summer, Seán won the Donegal Atlantic Way Ultra 555k Unsupported Race and the TJB Coastal 330 mile race before going on to set a new record for the 571k route from Mizen Head to Malin Head in a time of 17:20. That's an average of 33kph over the distance which included around 4,500m of climbing.
With his eyes on the prize of the top step on the podium in the Race Around Ireland Ultra in 2022, a possible faster record attempt for that Mizen to Malin Route and the expected arrival of a new addition to the Hernon household early next year, there are exciting things to come for the man referred to fondly as the 'Bear' Hernon.
In 2019 she represented Ireland in three separate European Championships across cycling, triathlon and cross country running, which is quite a remarkable achievement. She has a long list of racing accolades and success to date, from racing at the European Youth Olympics in cycling to competing in Rás na Mban twice, winning the best Irish rider green jersey on both occasions. Not to mention the long list of success in athletics and cross country running at home and abroad as well as her success on the international stage in triathlon, it's no surprise that she has twice been awarded Irish Junior Triathlete of the Year by Triathlon Ireland.
For now, she is focusing on triathlon as her chosen sport with her eyes firmly focused on being the best she can be, with a desire to train, race and represent her country at the highest level. This is a great chat with Maeve who at such a young age is an inspiration not only to her own age group, but also to those of us who are older than her and to those who may follow in her footsteps for years to come.
Splitting her time between her home in Australia and her adopted home in Boulder Colorado the former ITU athlete and Youth Olympic Silver Medalist almost gave up on the sport when she fell out of love with it, taking 6 months away completely to pursue other interests. But it wasn't long before her love of the sport and all it embodies saw her return with that burning desire to be the best in the world even stronger than ever. Seeking the help and coaching support of Siri Lindley who soon oversaw Ellie's pivot to middle distance racing she has been paving her way to the top step of a World Championship podium ever since.
The vivacious 28 year old has her eyes firmly on the World Championship prize and with the IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds taking place in St. George Utah this month, the podium is within touching distance for the steely determined athlete. Salthouse by name and salt of the earth by nature, the future is bright for this sparkling athlete.
Fenella says she is just a big kid at heart and loves what she does. With the biggest smile on her face she finished Challenge Daytona in 7th position last year before going on to claim a silver medal at IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene in June of this year stamping her ticket to Kona finishing in 8:59:49, a sub 9 debut IRONMAN.
She has had her fair share of injuries over the years but through her infectious positivity, commitment to her craft and her patience she has bounced back to deliver some performances she can be very proud of including her win at IRONMAN 70.3 Barcelona just one week after a bike crash in France which resulted in a DNF and stitches.
With an abundance of drive and determination coupled with natural talent and a thirst for success, the quietly spoken athlete lets her ability and performances do the talking. Still in her twenties, on the cusp of a new decade, Fenella has lots more fun to have in the sport of triathlon and there are plenty of podiums and medals in her future.
With a string of successes to his name already including; the winner of the Bearman Xtreme Long Distance race in 2017 and the Lakesman in 2019 he set the fastest long distance triathlon time ever recorded in the United Kingdom on the day in a winning time of 8:21. In the same year he finished 7th at Ironman Barcelona in a time of 8:05. He was recently 2nd at IRONMAN UK behind Joe Skipper which saw him jump up the PTO rankings to 26th on the global list.
Moving to France with his family as a young child he grew up embedded and engrossed in triathlon as his parents set up Sancture Sportifs Triathlon Training Camps in the South of France. Surrounded by sport, meeting a wide range of athletes from different cultures and backgrounds his passion for triathlon was fuelled and the fire ignited to pursue a life in sport where anything is possible.
Sam has a drive, focus and commitment to the sport that many of us can be inspired by, he is still very young in age but he is very much dedicated to his craft. He may have big goals and dreams but I fully expect that those goals and dreams will become a reality and Sam Laidlow is one to watch for the future!
It was joining Team Passion Fit in 2018 that her journey as a triathlete really started to take shape and notably her ability and tenacity as an athlete began to shine through. Her results speak for themselves in recent years with a 7th overall in IM 70.3 Weymouth in 2018, 1st in her age group at IM 70.3 Staffordshire in 2019 a 14th place overall result. Racing at the IM 70.3 World Championships in Nice in 2019 she was 17th in her age group, she finished 1st in her age group at IM 70.3 Lanzarote in 2019 and has taken the top step of the podium at the Cotswold 113, The Westonbirt Duathlon and the Chilly Duathlon.
Coupled with the overall wins at Outlaw and IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire recently the phoenix is most definitely rising as she embraces her life in sport not only as an athlete but as a business woman and proud owner of Phoenix Evolution Bike Fitting Consultancy.
As a youngster his bike was his mode of transport to get to school and his swimming lessons, the thrill of adventure and opportunity for fun started him on a journey for life that would see him start bike racing at the tender age of 14 in 1987 when Stephen Roche won the Tour De France. A high performer in sport across boxing, running and rugby it was down the cycling path where Padraig really followed his passion for sport both as an athlete and coach.
He raced The Rás in Ireland 12 times within a 30 year period, raced abroad for a period of time, holds multiple race titles and coaching accolades, is a race director for triathlon and cycling events and has recently completed an off road Everesting Challenge on the side of Croagh Patrick with some fellow cycling enthusiasts in Mayo. In addition to this he won Gaelforce in 2010 and was the All Ireland adventure race champion in 2011, the list of accolades and achievements are vast and diverse, his versatility as an athlete evident in his success in sport.
In some ways, the bigger and more obscure the challenge the greater the excitement for Padraig, however in 2014, Padraig faced his biggest challenge of them all.. a fight for life. Thankfully he has come out the other side of this challenge and continues to inspire, encourage and motivate the people around him and beyond, young and old to enjoy the life long skill of cycling and all its joys and jubilations.
He has a string of wins to his name including fastest overall amateur at IRONMAN Lanzarote in 2019 which saw him finish 11th overall on the day, as well as multiple age group wins at IRONMAN UK before breaking the tape as the overall winner in 2019. Racing in Kona six times he has had some super results on the Big Island in Hawaii, his most recent in 2019 saw him finish in 9:02. This Sunday Brian toes the line of the Supersapiens IRONMAN UK, eager to deliver a performance that will see him on the podium with his ticket stamped for Kona once again.
Brian gives us some insight in this episode to his journey in sport, from his days as a footballer to a keen marathon runner before taking up triathlon and excelling in the sport. It hasn't been plain sailing for Brian to get to where he is today but with courage and commitment he has embraced the opportunity to be the best athlete he can be all whilst balancing a busy work and home life, in his own words ' exercise is my drug'
It was a rollercoaster start in life for Kim as she underwent open heart surgery at just three years of age at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London, however her fighting spirit and competitive ambition from an early age has seen her enjoy much success in sport both as a field hockey player and now as a professional triathlete.
As an age group triathlete she quickly excelled in the sport winning the 25-29 Age Group at the 2014 World Triathlon Championships in Kitzbuhel Austria. Stepping into the world of professional racing she claimed her first title at IM 70.3 Buenos Aires in 2016 and also finished on the podium at IM 70.3 Staffordshire and IM 70.3 Sweden in the same year.
Since then she has been on the podium at a variety of IM 70.3 races, raced multiple full distance races including the IRONMAN World Championships in 2019 where she finished 26th. She has already stamped her ticket for the IM 70.3 Worlds in Utah this year and for Kona, so there are an exciting few months ahead for the Norfolk based athlete.
Already in 2021 Kim has claimed silver in the National TT Circuit Championships in the UK, in addition to this she had a 5th place finish at IM 70.3 Texas and an 8th place at IM Tulsa and also finished 5th at the Lake Dorney Triathlon last weekend in a stacked field featuring some of the UK's top female professional triathletes.
Kimberley's sporting success continues to rise, with her positive attitude, great perspective, tenacity and passionate focus on being the best athlete she can be, I expect we will see her on many a podium over the years to come with a number of bike and race course records added to her name in the process.
Keith's running journey started in 2016 with his daughter Alanna, running the Dublin Marathon with her in 2017, capturing and captivating the hearts of the nation as they completed the event together with Keith pushing Alanna in her chair over the 26.2 mile distance. Tragically Alanna passed away unexpectedly just a few weeks later, however, Keith continues to run in her honour and her memory.
He embraced running with Alanna and now has pushed beyond what he ever thought possible by taking on some mammoth Ultra Running Events. It wasn't an easy road to running success for Keith in fact he hit rock bottom after Alanna passed away before he began to pick up the pieces of his life again and realise that he had a reason to not only survive but to thrive. Running is his recovery and his therapy on a road that has hit some heart breaking obstacles and challenges.
But Keith is not afraid of these obstacles he now faces as a runner, in fact he embraces them, the bigger and tougher the better for the man from Navan who was a participant in RTE's Special Forces - Ultimate Hell Week in 2019, he has his eyes set on success at the Marathon Des Sables in the future and Big's Backyard Last One Standing World Final in Tennessee this October, just don't ask him to get back on a rowing machine anytime soon!
Aoife is a proud member of Eagle A.C. and has represented the club over a multitude of distances from 5km to marathon. In her late teens Aoife attended Arkansas Tech University on an athletics scholarship and showed great promise as a junior athlete, representing Ireland in the Euro XC in 2005. Unfortunately, injury prevented her from reaching her full athletic potential at that time.
Coming home to Ireland, she took time to recover, rebuild and reignite a love of running. A New Year's resolution to run the Cork City Marathon in 2015 paved the way for her to commence her marathon running journey which has seen her return to the top step of the podium and build on her achievements in running. With some key race successes, coupled with changes to her career and her training in recent years, Aoife Cooke has run her way into the history books and has ambitious and exciting plans to excel even further in her chosen sport of marathon running.
This was a fun chat with Aoife, her humility and positivity shines through in this episode, we get some incredible insight to her journey in sport and once again are reminded that our dreams and goals are never too far out of reach with courage, commitment and a desire to succeed.
The winner of the Deca UK in 2017, Ger completed 52 Long distance triathlons in 2018 which included a double, a continuous triple, a quinn and an indoor deca distance as part of his 52 in 52 challenge for Mental Health Ireland. In May of the same year he also completed a 100 Mile run in 20 hours on a 550 metre loop. He has some more challenges up his sleeve to the end of this year and into 2022 and beyond.
It hasn't been an easy road for Ger at times with some DNF's at a number of races early in his endurance racing journey, but rather than knock him down, he tuned his mindset to the idea that 'failure is feedback,' These disappointments he endured in sport, they drove him forward, to strive for more from himself mentally and physically, building confidence, resilience and a determination to succeed that is iron clad.
Hannah took up running at the age of 34 and has represented her club and country at local and international level, winning national and international medals in a wide range of distances. Stepping up to ultra-distance and endurance mountain running she has finished on multiple podiums across her running career. Turning her hand to triathlon as she approached her 50th birthday, she has since raced at all distances in triathlon and has a hoard of race titles and medals across duathlon and triathlon from home and abroad.
In 2018 Hannah was electrocuted in a freak accident whilst out training on her bike, resulting in life-changing injuries that have curbed her life professionally and in sport. However, just like every obstacle she has faced in achieving success as an explorer, adventurer and athlete, Hannah’s courage, determination and positive attitude are strong armoury in conquering this mountain in life she is currently ascending in returning to full health.
Heather won the national road race cycling championships in 2009 and broke both the national 10 and 25 mile TT records within a year of switching from triathlon to cycling. She finished 5th in the points race in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and competed at world cup level on the track and raced for Ireland at UCI level races internationally.
She has won multiple national titles in triathlon across all the distances is a five-time duathlon National Champion, at one stage she was National Duathlon Champion, Sprint, Olympic and Middle Distance Triathlon Champion at the same time. Heather continued to race nationally in cycling whilst successfully competing at triathlon, she was part of the winning county team in Ras Na mBan a few days after winning the Middle Distance National Championship at the Lost Sheep Triathlon in 2016.
Married to Desi with almost 8-year-old twins Grace and Oliver, Heather maximises her time to try and strike a healthy balance across all areas of her life in a busy household. By profession, she is a hospital pharmacist and has raced internationally whilst continuing to work, and produced some of her best performances since the twins came along. Heather is not afraid to work and race hard, with some gutsy performances, lots of grit, determination, natural talent and strong work ethic, her results in endurance sport speak for themselves.
Cath’s swimming accolades include swimming the English Channel in 2018, which began with her taking a notion to google how do you swim the Channel. She has represented Great Britain at the World Ice Swimming Championships in Russia, where she finished third in her age group. She has completed 8 official ice miles to date and a number of unofficial ice miles, she plans to complete the Ice 7's Challenge by completing an Ice Mile, ratified by IISA in each of the seven continents on earth. Although the pandemic has delayed some of the timeline on this challenge, Cath continues to prepare for the challenges ahead by swimming in a recently built pool at home and sitting in a chest freezer daily!
She loves swimming and loves ice swimming even more, her immersion in cold icy water is her sanctuary from daily life. Ice swimming coupled with the social aspect of swimming has had a huge impact on her life, resulting in a whole new world of adventure and exceptional achievements. Cath’s passion for her sport is infectious, the vivid description of her adventure in Antarctica is fascinating, she may hate cold showers but pop her in an ice bath and she is a magnificent mermaid and incredible advocate for going after your goals with perseverance and dedication.
As an athlete Gavin began Triathlon in 1995 and won at every level from Youth, including a British Junior Title, to senior, over every distance nationally. He was the first ever male triathlete to represent Ireland at an Olympic Games in 2012 where he finished in an impressive 23rd position. Gavin is the only Irish male athlete to have won an Ironman 70.3 as a professional athlete breaking the tape at IRONMAN 70.3 Zell Am See in 2013 after achieving his Olympic dream a year previous.
Studying Sports Marketing at University set him up for life during and after elite sport going down the road of working in sponsorship for a few years in the States before returning home to work in an agency in Dublin and now as part of Team Ireland and HupHup.
Before retirement as an athlete, Gavin had a stellar career in a sport he is extremely passionate about. In fact even though he has retired as an elite athlete, he lives and breathes the sport through his athletes. He brings his passion, experience and self confessed competitiveness to the next generation of athletes chasing goals, dreams and podiums. In the most recent full season of racing in 2019 some of the HupHup coached athletes results speak for themselves.
Having raced at the highest level in the sport of triathlon Gavin is utilising his experience to bring the best out of not only his coached athletes but also to ensure the Olympic Experience for Team Ireland Athletes is the best it can be. There is enough material is this episode to have two shows, but as Gavin has promised to do a follow up for the 100th episode this is going out as one show.
Spending a number of years abroad chasing his cycling dreams he returned to Ireland last year having made the decision to retire as a professional athlete. The now, former professional cyclist and a member of the Irish National cycling team is currently the number one ranked category 1 racing cyclist in Ireland, on the back of a super run of racing last season, winning 9 races in 2020.
In this episode, Daire candidly chats about the highs and lows of life on the road. The impact and importance of your environment and its effect on your physical and mental wellbeing. Returning home to Roscommon in 2020 Daire is now flourishing as a rider and is enjoying his role as a coach. He has gained much as the recipient of a hoard of advice from mentors and his support circle over the years that giving back to the sport and connecting with people as a coach is something he is embracing at full speed.
Competing in his first triathlon in 2010, he has gone from strength to strength and steadily grown in stature and success since he took up the sport. With a multitude of podium finishes, course and race records, he has gone sub 8 hours in multiple IRONMAN events, racing with and against some of the best athletes in the sport of triathlon and is getting faster and stronger in each year of competition.
The journey to his success has been peppered with some disappointments along the way. But rather than throw in the towel, Joe has continued to embrace his passion for professional sport and chase his triathlon and cycling goals all whilst having fun and showing great resilience and determination in chasing that top step of the podium in sport. Joe Skipper is not your average Joe, and certainly not another average Joe, he is dedicated, committed and more resilient than most, with many more great performances to come, watch this space because Skipper is reaching for the stars in sport and they are certainly within reach.
It was running initially that led Annah to the world of endurance sport, she quickly became hooked on triathlon and was almost instantly a successful age group athlete, she earned multiple wins and podium finishes in numerous events as an agegroup athlete and finished 3rd in her agegroup at the IRONMAN World Championships in 2015.
She took the plunge to the professional ranks in 2016 and has enjoyed much success against some of the best athletes in the world. 2019 was a superb year for Annah, winning the IM 70.3 South Africa and taking 3rd place at IRONMAN South Africa later in the year, which secured her place to race in Kona as a professional athlete. Annah finished in the top 20 at the Ironman World Championships in 2019 which was the highest position of the female South African athlete on the day something that she is immensely proud of.
Annah’s success comes off the back of managing a busy life in finance and in sport, finding the balance to both is key to her success. She is by her own admission disciplined, but she is also determined and dedicated to both of her careers. Her positivity and resilience in the face of adversity coupled with her passion to succeed and be the very best she can be, sees her live her life with gratitude and humility for the opportunities she has both forged for herself and been given in life.
She narrowly missed qualification for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 then injury saw her miss London 2012. Despite the disappointment that ensued it didn’t deter her from following her passion for sport, in fact it made her hungry for more and created an opportunity for Emma to explore and excel in multisport racing resulting in a career of sporting excellence across swim bike and run.
Having taken up triathlon in 2012 she spent some time on the ITU circuit before making a move to longer distance racing. She has worked hard to get where she is today but she has made the sport her own, embracing and adapting quickly to the triathlon lifestyle and although running is still her favourite discipline when added to her swim and bike she is a force to be reckoned with. Some of her notable achievements include being a Double World Champion in Duathlon, she also has a World Aquathlon Title, she finished second in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in 2017 which saw her make her mark at the distance whilst the world was watching.
Since then she has podiumed in countless triathlon races at a variety of distances across the world including a 3rd place spot at IM Austria in 2018 where she stamped her ticket to race in Kona. In 2019 she had a podiumed packed season and in early 2020 she finished IM 70.3 South Africa in second place. Last year was not the season she was expecting but making the most of her opportunities she packed a punch at all her racing efforts in the virtual world and in real life.
We chat about facing his fears, stepping up to the challenge, respecting goals, the importance of exercise and mindset and how the pivotal decision to get healthy and fit at the age of 27 was the catalyst to a new life that he could previously only have dreamed of. If you are in need of a boost of motivation heading into the New Year then this is a show you don't want to miss. There are so many nuggets of insight and information in this episode, grab a cuppa and give it your full attention, it could be just the conversation you need to hear as we embrace a New Year.
It wasn’t until she moved to Canada in 2010 that the running bug caught up with her again, she then found triathlon and endurance sport in 2012 when a running injury sidelined her to cycling and swimming and so began a love story with swim, bike and run.
Michelle raced at all distances of triathlon as a successful age group athlete and in 2019 dipped her toes into the world of being a professional triathlete, racing at IRONMAN Ireland was a very proud day for her and her family when mental grit, digging deep and sheer determination saw her finish as 4th professional female on the day.
Ready to embrace this whole new world of being a professional athlete in 2020, it was not to be due to Covid19 and instead of training and racing her way through the year and around the world she is embarking on an adventure of a different nature with the birth of her baby due early in 2021.
She is the founder of fitness-based awareness campaign ‘Fighting Fit For Ewing’s’ which involves participating in physical challenges such as an attempted Guinness World Record in Holland, climbing the route of a glacier in Iceland and completing the Fan Dance gruelling 24km trek in Wales all whilst relying heavily on crutches. In July 2018, Nikki became the first crutch user to climb 4 Irish mountains on crutches in less than 32 hours.
Her passion for life, resilience in the face of adversity and her ability to face a challenge head on is both inspiring and uplifting. Life dealt Nikki some difficult circumstances and challenges at a young age but she has embraced those challenges, risen above them and now empowers others to do the same. As a motivational speaker and advocate for following a passion for sport, adventure and the outdoors, she has coupled this interest with her profession in her current role as The Ulster Development Officer with Triathlon Ireland.
This brave ice swimmer with a warm heart has completed an ice mile swim and multiple kilometre and 500m ice swims, representing Ireland in two World Championships: Burghausen, Germany in 2017 and Murmansk, Russia in 2019. Earlier this year she enjoyed a swimming adventure of epic proportions in Antartica. Wait till you hear about the icebergs!!
She has been the IISA Ireland chairperson since 2018 and firmly believes in the importance of giving back to her sport and her community. Her vivid description of her swimming adventures and her infectious lust for the water is fascinating. She does say that her number one reason for swimming is so that she can eat more cake but there’s a lot more to it than that, the community and people she has surrounded herself with have helped her to not only believe in herself but also helped her to continue to strive for success in swimming every day.
June who is now 62, completed her first IRONMAN and winning her age group in Barcelona in 2018 on her 60th birthday, she went on to have an incredible year in 2019 winning her age group at IRONMAN Lanzarote and IM70.3 Dun Laoghaire. She finished 7th in her age group at the IM70.3 World Championships in Nice and went on to finish 6th in her age group at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona just missing out on a 5th place podium spot. Although racing plans were put on hold for 2020, she recently completed a charity cycle of 403 miles around Northern Ireland in 3 days, the only woman with 10 men to complete the cycle.
Gerard Turbitt has also risen to the top step of the podium in triathlon in recent years, now aged 67 he is as focused and ambitious in sport as any man or woman half his age. Last year, Gerard also raced at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona. Narrowly missing his slot in Lanzarote in 2018 he raced IRONMAN Wales a few months later, just a week after racing the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in South Africa. In Wales 2018 he won his age group to secure his place for the Big Island in 2019 finishing 8thon the day.
Both June and Ger are multiple Triathlon Ireland Age Group Champions across a variety of distances, they are humble, proud and passionate about a sport that has given them so much and is proof that age is just a number, it’s how you choose to embrace your life regardless of age that makes the difference, they epitomise the idea that growing older is not a barrier to enjoying a successful and happy life of sport and triathlon.
He first dipped his toe in IRONMAN racing in 1982 going up against the best in the world at the time Dave Scott, it took Mark multiple attempts until 1989 to finally become the World Champion for the first time beating Dave Scott to the finish by 58 seconds. Marks IRONMAN journey and that IRONWAR of 1989 has been covered extensively and widely, so in this show, we chat about his career and life generally, and shoot the breeze in what at times felt more like a chat over coffee with a friend than an interview with the man who was voted ESPN’s Greatest Endurance Athlete of All Time, he also holds the title of Greatest American Triathlete of all Time, not to mention he is a member of the IRONMAN Hall of FAME, USAT Hall of Fame and ITU Hall of Fame.
Mark shares lots of insight into his fascinating journey in sport, but I think more importantly he shares insight into the mindset of a champion with lots of nuggets of advice and practical lessons that we can all take away and use in our daily lives regardless of our sporting aspirations and goals, and now more than ever we can all do with an injection of inspiration that we can use daily to keep us both motivated and mindful in these turbulent times.
Shauna Bocquet from Craughwell AC who at 16 years of age is a Triple Junior World Champion in wheelchair racing, took up the sport at just 8 years of age. She has excelled in her sport and has her sights set on some significant goals in the future. Her success to date includes competing at the London mini marathon 5 times, winning the U14 age group on two occasions, she competed at the Diamond League in Zurich in September 2016 and the IPC Grand Prix in Paris in June 2018 and she was the VHI Women’s Mini-Marathon wheelchair winner in 2018 & 2019. She is fundraising to build a 400m track at her home club in Craughwell, which you can hear more about in this episode, you can also join the challenge and support her efforts and be part of her success in sport in the future.
Pauline Murray from Galway Triathlon Club who took up running in her mid 30’s, last Saturday completed a 50k run to celebrate her 50th birthday. I chatted with Pauline about the run, her training, her running buddies 'The Dangan Girls’ her move from running to triathlon and how joining Galway Triathlon Club has led to her living a life she would never have considered 20 years ago. With marathons, triathlons and long-distance swimming in her sporting CV and now a 50k run under her belt, her can do and will do positive attitude shine clearly throughout in this episode.
Both of my guests give us an insight into their journey’s in sport, what it means to them to have an active lifestyle and what drives and motivates them to pursue their passion for the outdoors and sport.
She has adventure and exploration coursing through her veins, her passion for the outdoors and thirst for adventure is infectious and really knows no bounds, so much so that after spending many years working in the drinks industry she came home to Mayo to set up her own tour company Rachels Irish Adventures providing the opportunity for her guests to enjoy tailor-made tours off the beaten path to experience, discover and taste the best of Ireland.
With a keen interest in exploration and experiencing new cultures and places, she has travelled the world and participated in some great races. From the World's Toughest Race - Eco Challenge Fiji to the Marathon De Sable, The Maya Mountain Challenge - Belize Adventure Race and Slovenia Adventure Race. Closer to home she has tackled the Race in Donegal, The Beast Adventure Race and Coast to Coast Ireland, no mean feat by any stretch of the imagination. Added to this impressive list her ultra-distance cycling and trail running success is also hugely impressive, her trophy and medal haul is hugely inspiring.
In this episode we get an insight into Rachel’s training for the TransAtlantic Way, we hear some funny stories from her recent epic adventures at home and abroad and, we also get a snippet into the mindset of an athlete who’s positivity is endless. Although we didn’t discuss this in the show it is incredible to think that when Rachel took part in the OCC in Chamonix a number of years ago, she ended up in a coma for over 40 hours after suffering from hyponatremia, luckily she woke up without suffering any brain damage. Rachel's energy, passion and commitment to her office outdoors and to her life of adventure is evident right from the start of our chat on the show.
She has finished on the podium seven times in Kona since that first appearance in 2009 with three world titles, two-second places and one-third place. Her run course record on the Big Island set in 2014 still stands to date, a testament to the determination tenacity, power and sheer grit it took to literally run herself to the top of the podium and claim that victory on the day.
Her sporting CV is a lengthy one some highlights of her success include; representing Australia at the ITU Triathlon World Championships from 2001-2005, earning silver medals in 2002 & 2003 before stepping up to long-distance racing. She won the Nice Long Course Triathlon in 2004, was second at the ITU Long Course World Championship in 2005, finished third at the IM 70.3 World Championships in 2006 before claiming the world title at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in 2007. She has clocked up over 50 wins at major races across the world during her career to date.
Married to fellow World Champion triathlete, Timothy O’Donnell they welcomed Izzy to the family 3 years ago and are expecting baby number two at the very end of this year. They along with Izzy announced this news on the Tim and Rinny show much to the delight of their followers and were also appointed global brand ambassadors for Aqua Sphere in recent weeks.
Despite the lack of races now taking place due to the global pandemic, Rinny is as focused as ever, we shoot the breeze in this episode, chatting about her career in sport, juggling training, racing and motherhood all whilst tenaciously and passionately chasing her dreams and goals.
Jumping right in and embracing life as a professional triathlete she has already proven herself as one to watch. Her debut IRONMAN in Australia saw her take 4th place with a sub-nine-hour finish in a time of eight hours fifty-three minutes on the back of her podium finishes in Staffordshire, Finland and Weymouth IM 70.3 races and a 16th place finish at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Nice last year.
The ETU Elite Middle Distance Champion of 2019 added a British National Cycling title to her trophy cabinet last week winning the 100 mile TT in a time of 3:55:22.
With a positive can-do attitude, her passion for her profession as both an athlete and physiotherapist shine through in this episode. She has set some lofty goals for herself in the past and exceeded them, her goals for 2021 and beyond are well within her reach, we can expect to see a lot more from Katrina Matthews in the future.
The former An Post Chain Reaction rider tackled the everresting Challenge in early July setting the 5th fastest time worldwide for the challenge on his first attempt, setting a new Irish record for the 8,848m of climbing required to achieve the title in the process, a feat that shot him back into the spotlight in the world of cycling.
There were murmurs after the first record that maybe there was more in the tank, that he could go faster and possibly set a new world record. He quietly went about his business in the intervening weeks, reviewing his performance, his bike, the route and made some changes to seek out those marginal gains that would see him set a new Everesting World record in a time of 7:04:41, almost 23 minutes faster than Alberto Contador’s time of 7:27:20 which was set just three weeks earlier.
We chat about that World Record and about his life on two wheels from the early days of cycling after school to his time as a professional rider. He has raced with some of the best riders in the world on the professional scene represented club, county and country on his bike for numerous years.
Returning home after his professional career he has taken the domestic scene by storm with many podiums and race wins to his name including a double Shay Elliott win in 2018 and 2019, his plans for a three in a row scuppered by Covid 19. He has also won the Donegal Ultra 555 twice and has set his sights on winning this year's race and breaking the course record in the process.
This is a great chat with an athlete who leaves no stone unturned in his race preparation and training, at all times seeking out the best performance from himself and his equipment with meticulous planning and number crunching, passionate, dedicated and committed are just some of the words we can use to describe the man from Donegal who now sits at the top of the World.
He is a 1986 Commonwealth Games medalist and has amassed hundreds of medals and trophies in different cycling disciplines throughout his career. In 2009 he entered his first endurance race the Race Around Ireland. From that moment Joe Barr became Team Joe Barr. He hasn’t looked back since. 2017 was a milestone season with the team winning two World Cup 500 mile races in Italy and the United States resulting in Joe being crowned 2017 World Endurance Champion, overall, 500-mile category, a first for Ireland.
In 2018 Joe returned to and won Race Around Ireland covering 2,200 kilometres in 104 hours and 3 mins, with just 3.5 hours sleep. He beat some of the world’s toughest competitors in what is considered one of the most intense races on the world circuit.
In 2019 Joe won his age category in Race Across America the nonstop 3,070-mile race from the west coast of America to the east coast. It is considered the toughest race in endurance. Joe is the only Irish rider to have finished RAAM twice.
He entered a local triathlon as a break from competitive swim training and won the race igniting an interest in the sport that would see him travel the world toeing the start line of numerous races, mixing it up with some of the best-known names in the sport of triathlon.
Russell has been training and racing all over the globe in pursuit of an Olympic dream. With multiple podiums and top finishes in races across the world, significant results include the joint highest WTS finish by an Irish male when he finished 10th in Leeds in 2016, he achieved the highest WTS Grand Final finish by an Irish male when he finished in 15th place at Rotterdam Grand Final in 2017 and then went on to claim the silver medal at the Karlovy Vary World Cup in 2018. The two time Commonwealth Games athlete gives us an insight into his life on the road pursuing his passion for his chosen sport in this episode.
Injuring his collarbone whilst in the USA just before Covid19 restrictions came into effect in Ireland, the injury was undoubtedly a setback to his training, but if it was to happen, it happened at the best time as the world almost stopped turning and he could focus on recovery and rest for body and mind without the pressure of chasing precious Olympic qualification points.
Spending time at home in Ireland over the past few months was not something he expected to happen when setting out his plans for this year, but he has embraced the return home, his recovery and his return to training on the local roads at home in Banbridge.
The promising young professional footballer had his dreams of a life in sport drastically cut short at the age of 16 due to family circumstances. He left his life in Scotland to return home to Dublin to support his brothers and sisters when his father was sent to prison.
Deciding to turn his life around shortly after his release from prison, the passion he had as a child for sport was reignited when he supported a friend taking part in an IRONMAN. That coupled with the tragic death of another friend was pivotal to his decision to change the course of not only his own life but that of his five children. In less than two years of making the decision to leave a life of crime behind, Ger had achieved his lofty goal of becoming a professional triathlete with a sub 9:30 IRONMAN finish and has raced multiple IRONMAN events including Maastricht, Lanzarote, Wales, Cork and Barcelona.
Ger’s story is one that will have you on the edge of your seat as he brings us through his life and how he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals sporting or otherwise. He does not, by his own admission ‘Do Excuses’ believing that no matter where you come from or your circumstances, through hard work and consistency you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
Imogen has always had an interest in sport excelling in triathlon and running before her love of cycling took hold. Now, chasing, breaking and leading the pack in road racing has become more than a personal passion it has become a professional goal.
She was part of the Cycling Ireland National Track programme for 18 months, moving to Mallorca for a period to train with the team and try her hand at team pursuit. However, in 2018 she decided to switch to road cycling moving to Belgium to pursue her passion for sport and master her craft.
We get an insight into her life during COVID at home in Co. Clare, some tips on taking the fear out of bike racing in a bunch and why she simply loves to train and loves the thrill of bike racing. With plenty more miles and races ahead she is one to watch for the future.
Due to Covid19, she hasn’t had the start to her professional career that she was expecting back in late 2019 but none the less the talented champion athlete is as motivated and committed as ever to getting fitter, faster and stronger.
Her journey and success in triathlon has been matched by her success in her career with Lloyds, both of them going hand in hand with many hours of consistent work and dedication. Ruth has excelled as an endurance athlete, with 2019 being one of her biggest years in the sport and also a roller coaster of a year with injury lows, racing highs and big life changes and decisions. None the less Ruth encapsulates the epitome of working hard to chase big goals. Committed, dedicated and passionate about her sport there is no stopping Ruth Astle and I think we can undoubtedly expect to see her breaking the tape and topping the podium of races as a professional athlete for many years to come.
Gavan has adventured across all seven continents, climbing, running, walking rowing and mountaineering in some of the worlds’ toughest conditions. He has completed some of the longest and toughest winter ultras in the world including the Likeys 6633 Arctic Ultra, he also completed The Yukon Arctic Ultra 500km where he placed 2nd with the 3rd fastest time recorded at the time since it’s inception in 2003. He has also completed a solo crossing of the 700km frozen Lake Baikal in Siberia. He then went on to become the fastest solo competitor in the history of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge completing the three thousand mile journey in 49 days, 11 hours and 37 minutes. He recently returned home as the winner of the IditarodInvitational 500k foot race in Alaska and is now back at work as a commercial deep sea diver.
With a strong sense of purpose and a passion for adventure that has seen him travel the world his story is one that should help to lift you up, motivate you and encourage you to believe that you can be anything and achieve anything you want in life.
She backed up her top 3 finish in Kona last year with a win at IM Arizona just five weeks after her epic battle on the island of Kona Hawaii. She has also been crowned champion across a multitude of events including Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz in 2019 and 2018,South American Ironman Champion 2018, ITU World Long Course Champion 2017, Asia Pacific and European Ironman Champion 2017. The list of success in sport is seriously impressive and a testament to her calibre as an athlete and leader in the sport of triathlon.
In this episode we find out how working with her coach Cam, reconstructing her swim and keeping her support team tight have played a pivotal role in her sporting success at IRONMAN, added to her dedication, tenacity and commitment to her craft as well as her joy of triathlon has seen her on a sporting journey that many of us will only ever dream of!
From a young age Bryan showed great form as an athlete, from early years in school to his days as a professional footballer, before moving across to endurance sports. He has inspired many athletes young and old with his tenacity, dedication and consistency in training and racing. His honest accounts of his successes as well as his failures have captivated his followers and supporters in sport and beyond at home and abroad.
Playing football with Leeds United, Dundalk and Newry City to name a few he moved into cycling after some time and effort spent running the roads around Dundalk. As a cyclist, he clocked up some great results at the Des Hanlon Memorial, Ras Mumhan, the Tour of Ulster and in 2016 was second in stage two of the Ras which was an incredible achievement and testament to his work rate and consistency as and athlete. In the same year he also raced at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona.
Switching in and out of the professional ranks of triathlon in recent years, supporting his family business, his wife Karen and children Rían and Eire he is now racing as a professional triathlete and brings us in this episode through some key insights to his success, the highs and lows of racing and how he aspires to be the best athlete that he can possibly be.
In her time as a professional athlete she clocked up 13 IRONMAN wins some of those just 2 weeks apart! Lucy retired from the sport as a full time professional at the end of 2018 returning to her work fulltime as a cancer doctor however, that didn’t stop her from winning the PATAGONMAN Xtreme Triathlon in December 2018 and the first ever XTri World Championships at the Norseman last year. She also returned to her spiritual IRONMAN home in Tenby, Wales one final time to say goodbye to a race that she loves and brings back such fond memories.
An incredibly determined, passionate and dedicated athlete and oncologist it is no surprise she has been successful at every turn. Her mindset and focus is strong, in fact she credits much of her success to her mindset. But, she is also a very talented athlete and very much enjoys the sport of triathlon. With a spirit of adventure she wants to have fun with what she does in sport and with that smile and positive attitude she has captured the hearts of many with her #doingalucy dancing, smiling and celebrating in style down the finish line of many a race.
Taking up triathlon in 2014, then deciding to run a marathon in 2015 he set about chasing down an IRONMAN finish line in 2016 with his eyes firmly focused on getting to Kona to race the IRONMAN World Championships.
However, with a number of bumps in the road towards qualification it wasn’t a smooth ride all the way, but he made it. In 2017 he raced at the IRONMAN World Championships, IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships and Challenge The Championships in the same year.
Injury has set his plans to become a professional triathlete on the back burner for the moment but that has not stopped him from pursuing his passion for triathlon and helping others in the process.
Setting aside his plan to be a physiotherapist, he has set up a coaching business and WattsUp Studio providing support, motivation and encouragement to others in achieving their own sporting goals.
Rosie has 39 international Rugby Caps for Ireland, she played in 2 rugby world cups and was the Captain of Munster & UL ladies rugby teams winning interprovincial titles & All Ireland titles with both teams, she has also represented Ireland at Tag Rugby.
The rugby star turned swimmer in recent years was the first person to swim in swimming togs the 38km of Lough Derg solo in 2014 before going on to swim the 21 miles across the English Channel solo from England to France, also in swimming togs.
She swam the Straits of Gibraltar in swimming togs in September of last year, was inducted into the UL Sports Hall of Fame in 2018 and was recently awarded the ILDSA Paraic Casey Munster Swimmer of the Year 2019 sponsored by John Edwards at Wild Water Adventures Tralee.
This episode of the show is filled with positivity and inspiration, if also tinged with a little bit of sadness, but it is jam-packed with inspiration, practical positivity and a few hearty laughs along the way.
This powerful pairing have more silverware that many of us can only dream of winning, with a medal haul that would fill a treasure chest. Katie-George and Eve won Gold in the time trial in Rio Paralympics 2016 and silver in the road race. Since then, they successfully became World Champions in 2017 and 2018 in both time trial and road race. In 2019 they became World Champions again in the time trial and won silver in the road race. In January of 2020 they broke their own national record and went on to win silver in the women’s tandem pursuit at the para cycling track world championships in Canada.
In this episode we chat about their background in sport, how they came together as a team, their success as a duo and we also get an insight into the commitment, passion and dedication they have, not only to their sport but their individual roles as part of this dynamic duo as they chase their goals with a clear, focused and very resilient attitude.
Lizzie is a bundle of energy and an incredible athlete, her work rate, dedication and her practical yet positive outlook and attitude has been the backbone of her success in sport and beyond. We chat about her Road to Rio and that perfect day at Dublin Marathon 2018 where she was crowned National Marathon Champion taking 3rd place overall in the women's race.
Lizzie is a busy mum of 3 young children and runs for fun, as she says herself. In this episode we get a glimpse into her life before sport, her support networks who have helped to shape her success and hear how one pivotal conversation led to her life-changing decision to pursue some lofty sporting goals and make them a reality.
The National Paratriathlon Champion and Para Triathlete of the Year 2019, Donnacha is a quiet, softly spoken athlete but don’t let that fool you, his focus, determination, passion and commitment to his sport is loud and clear and very inspiring.
We are joined on the show by Eamonn and Dave Tilley who give us an insight into the role of a guide with the paratriathlon team and some snippets of insight into the history of triathlon in Ireland. Marc O'Dwyer also joins us, hosting the episode in his offices of the Big Red Cloud in Dublin, he is one of Donnacha’s proud sponsors and like the rest of us inspired by Donnacha’s resilience, determination and sporting success to date.
As far as Graham is concerned quitting is not an option.. he has yet to DNF a race and has no plans to let anything get in his way in his endeavours to find out just how far he can push his mind and body. His stubbornness, tenacity and determination to succeed are very evident, when the going gets tough he simply doesn’t give up.
Triathlon Taren (Taren Gesell) has turned his personal interest in triathlon into an opportunity to create awareness of the sport through his podcasts and YouTube channel, he has become a household name worldwide through his digital platforms whilst through his training platform Trainiac is supporting and coaching athletes from across the world, many of whom are starting out in their triathlon journey.
Sarah Hartmann has coupled her passion for helping others with her love of triathlon and has paved her way to the role of Executive Director of the IRONMAN Foundation spearheading the delivery of a multitude of programmes in communities across the world from the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Women For Tri movement to name just a few, she has completely changed her career moving from technology to triathlon.
Triny Willerton is an athlete and an advocate for triathletes worldwide aiming to make the roads safer for all of us who use it. Following a serious collision with a truck in 2018 she is campaigning to change laws and create awareness of the vulnerability of cyclists on the road through her #itcouldbeme movement. The softly spoken athlete has tenacious plans to bring her campaign far beyond the reach of the US.
Ger is one of the world's most determined and dedicated ice swimmers, taking up the sport 8 years ago he has gone from strength to strength on a local and international scale travelling the world to follow his passion for ice swimming as a participant, supporter and facilitator. He has been nominated for the 2019 World Open Water Swimming Association’s, World Open Water Swimming, Man of the Year in recognition of his outstanding performance and offerings around the globe.
Con a high-performance triathlete is chasing 2020 Olympic qualification, whilst continuing his college studies, he has raced triathlon since 2010, has a long list of great results since first dipping his toes in triathlon, in 2019 he had an exceptional year with multiple podium finishes on the domestic and international circuit.
Aaron, the younger brother of the two is currently studying in the University of Limerick, he has transitioned from running to triathlon, turned his hand to professional cycling and has come full circle to return to triathlon. He is the 2019 Triathlon Ireland BMW National Series Champion and the Junior Elite National Champion and continues to race as a cyclist domestically.
Simon's mental, physical and emotional health were in a dire state, he ballooned in weight, was drinking heavily and was addicted to painkillers. At the age of 40 he reached out for help and was supported by his counsellor at the time to go back to a sport he loved as a child.. running, from there the rest is history and it was a turning point in his life. He is an IRONMAN having raced at Wales in 2018 and now wants to help others by telling his story of how sport has helped him to recover his life.
Haley is an Ironman and 70.3 Ironman Champion, a champion collegiate swimmer she competed in the Olympic Swim Trials in 2004 and 2008. Turning her back on her accountancy career, she has pursued life as a professional triathlete since 2013. She spent two years chasing a Kona dream but a crash in 2015, 20 days out from her IRONMAN World Championships knocked her down and out of competition for a while but she has returned to racing, fitter, stronger, with a can-do and will do attitude and sense of gratitude that has seen her deliver some of the best results of her professional career to date.
There are soundbites from this year’s National Marathon Champions Aoife Cooke and Stephen Scullion who both raced incredibly on the day. We also hear from previous podcast guests Valerie Fogarty, Kayanne Horgan, Collette O'Hagan & Ray O’Connor as well as a selection of the Blue Line Runners and a number of other familiar faces on the running scene in Ireland who share their race day experience with us.
In this episode you will meet Mary Nolan Hickey, the 67 year old athlete from Arklow who is the only woman to finish all 40 editions of the marathon in Dublin, Collette O’ Hagan who is fondly referred to as the ‘Running Granny’ but at 70 years of age she shows no signs of stopping or slowing down. Tom and Alan from Middlesborough in the UK, who are both 80 years of age show us that age is not a barrier to fulfilling your dreams and having goals.
I also chatted with Gordon Harold, who tells us about some of the plans for 2020 for KBC Dublin Marathon to focus and support mental health initiatives and managed to grab a few minutes with Frank Greally on the stage who talks about his passion projects across running, music and poetry.
I had a the pleasure of meeting Paul Moran who is the new chairperson of the marathon committee, he took some time out to talk about his role in this anniversary year and the importance of volunteers to the event, and speaking of volunteers, I bumped into Ann & Amelia from Waterstown Warriors who were volunteering on the Friday of the Expo and had a busy few days ahead and finally I have a quick chat with Declan Byrne Regional Director of IRONMAN UK and Ireland about his ambitions for his race day Sunday.
Each of these incredible female athletes has shown courage, bravery and resilience in pursuing their passion for sport, pushing through barriers to continue their triathlon journey providing much inspiration to women and men everywhere.
We chat about Damian’s life as a professional rugby player, his completion of the Marathon des Sable in 2016 and his rowing of the Atlantic in 2017. He is currently undertaking the challenging adventure to complete the Seven Summits of the World, with just two of these left to complete in 2020.
Setting big scary goals and devising his own training plans to complete them, there are some fabulous insights into how his mindset, determination, resilience and attitude have been central to his success an athlete and adventurer.
Laura has an impressive sporting cv which includes multiple podiums at an age group level on the world stage before she made the move into the professional ranks whilst she was living in Australia.
Amongst her string of racing successes, she is a three-time IM Australia Champion after taking the title once again in May of this year. She was looking forward to another busy season of racing before disaster struck this Summer when she came off her bike fracturing her collar bone. She has spent the past few months recovering from the injury and getting back into training and racing.
Her first race post-injury was IM 70.3 Dun Laoghaire in August where she finished in 5th place, she took on and tamed the dragon in Tenby finishing in 3rd place at IRONMAN Wales this year.
His insight into his training, racing and his tips are invaluable to anyone who is racing this year or who is looking to qualify for the IRONMAN Word Championships in the future. His genuine excitement about returning to the island is infectious, with a gracious attitude towards his opportunity to race with the best athletes in the world he is both humble and grateful to be able to do so and in his own words ‘blessed’ to be able to race on the Big Island once again this year.
With very different sporting and family backgrounds, Val and Kayanne formed a bond for life through triathlon, supporting, encouraging and pushing each other all the way to hearing the most precious of words in the sport; You Are An IRONMAN'.
She has now finished on the podium 15 times in the last 4 years, winning her first race as a professional at IRONMAN Lanzarote in May of this year and winning IRONMAN 70.3 Dun Laoghaire on Sunday, her first 70.3 win as a professional athlete. Nikki is also part of the British Para triathlete team as a guide hoping to make it to Tokyo 2020.
The episode gives some great insight into Nikki’s life, the high’s the low’s, the pressure to perform and the consistency, confidence and determination it takes to make it to the top step of the podium as a professional female athlete.
Dee is a Galway Girl, based in Dublin, she is a Captain in the Irish Army and has a host of endurance and sporting challenges under her belt including: Ironman, marathon, kickboxing, bodybuilding and powerlifting. Although she swam as a child she didn’t really fall in love with swimming until she took up marathon swimming in 2011, she now enjoys all forms of swimming from long distance to dips with friends to ice swimming in the depths of winter.
Fergal is also a proud Galwegian and one of the founding members of Atlantic Masters Swimming Club. He took up swimming at the age of 29 and is proudly supported in his endeavours by his wife Norma and three children Ella, Jack & Saoirse. Although Fergal couldn’t swim back then he stubbornly battled through many a swim lesson so that he could earn a PADI diving qualification. His swimming career and success was built on the back of this initial interest in diving, he now has numerous long distance swimming and ice swimming events under his belt with big plans for the future.
Both swimmers provide fantastic insight, information and inspiration in this episode in telling their personal story of how they conquered the Channel.
He has also set and completed a number of multiday endurance challenges which include 12 marathons in 12 days and 24 marathons in 24 days in Ireland. Earlier this year he cycled and ran his way across 5,000km in the US from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco to Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
In this episode we delve into his adventure across America, the planning, training, logistics and his life on the road during the American tour. We chat about the highs, the lows and the inspiration to keep pushing his limits in moving towards the end goal of reaching Brooklyn Bridge within 36 days.
Chris Mintern has to date achieved much racing success locally, nationally and internationally representing Ireland at Junior as well as U23 World Championships. This year he switched his focus from racing short distances to now chasing podiums across middle and full distance events.
We chat about all things triathlon from training to racing and everything in between. His passion and drive for success is second to none, with his high standards across performance in training and racing he believes he has plenty of results yet to come as he seeks out his best ever race performance.
This year, Kona, Hawaii will be his 31st year on the big island to call people across the finish line of the IRONMAN World Championships. He is an IRONMAN Foundation Ambassador Team Captain, a member of The IRONMAN Hall of Fame, USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, Running USA Hall of Champions and has recently published his book Finding My Voice.
After a few years of coming to terms with this life-changing condition, Leo has once again taken up the sport of triathlon as a para-triathlete, supported by his wife Aisling, his 3 children, Lauren, Fia and Aibhinn and his fellow club-mates from Tri Lakes TC. His journey from serious illness to world champion is one of resilience, determination and courage. His passion and positivity for his family, his fellow athletes and the sport of triathlon is both infectious and inspiring.
Ray has completed a host of marathon and ultra running events. His running CV includes the Marathon D Sable and its sister event in Peru. He has already this year taken part in two 24 hour running events covering over 100 miles in each event to name just a few of his running endeavors.
Ray is not only a runner he is also the founder of Marathon Club Ireland and RunIreland.com. He is race director to a number of running events including Run Galway Bay, Forest Marathon Connemara 100 and has the license to deliver Tough Mudder Ireland. We get a flavor of his passion for running and events over the course of this episode.
In this first episode we chat with triathlete Caroline Heffernan from Tri Lakes Triathlon Club in Galway. Caroline, a mum of 2 is an avid triathlete and sports fan despite suffering from Cystic Fibrosis. She is the first Irish person with CF to complete a full distance triathlon, finishing IRONMAN Barcelona in 15 hours 15 minutes in 2018. Caroline's upbeat and positive attitude shines through as we chat about her journey in triathlon and how she manages her CF to chase her sporting goals and dreams from; triathlons to marathons and everything in between supported by her husband, two children, extended family and fellow Tri Lake TC members. Her determination and commitment to her health and her sporting goals will no doubt be an inspiration to everyone.
Joanne Murphy is the voice behind Tri Talking Sport. An accomplished event MC, live presenter and international sports announcer working with brands and events across a wide range of sectors.
An amateur endurance athlete Joanne has raced at all distances and levels of triathlon since dipping her toes into the sport in 2009, she has completed the New York Marathon on two occasions and the 6k Warrior Swim in Sligo.
She is co-founder and captain of the Galway Baybes endurance female cycling team who hold the Irish Record for the 2,250k Race Around Ireland (2017) and the Race Record for the Donegal Ultra 555k (2018). The Galway Baybes won the Outsider Magazine Audience Choice Award in 2018 for their Race Around Ireland performance.
A keen advocate for Women in Sport and Women in Business Joanne is one of four Global Ambassador’s for the IRONMAN Foundation’s Women for Tri Initiative and is the newly appointed President of the Business and Professional Women’s Club, Galway (2019)
Joanne has delivered keynote presentations on her role as a female in sport and business to a diverse range of audiences across Galway, she is currently an Ambassador for Windsor Galway Renault.
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