Fair Game

Taking to the Road to Rio hot-seat on this episode of Fair Game is Ciara Mageean. Ciara has overcome potentially career-ending injury to become a national record-breaker, and looks set to light up the track in Brazil this August. There aren’t many athletes who could garner the tagline of “the next Sonia O’Sullivan”, but this 23 year old physiotherapy student from Co. Down has done just that. Hear all about her GAA grassroots, her intensive training regime, the importance of sponsorship and her Olympic goals.

Fair Game is going off-road on this edition of the podcast, delving into the high-octane world of adventure sports.

We're joined by two Irish sportswomen who have made a name for themselves off the beaten track. Firstly, Sinead Kane, who has defied all odds and perceptions around being visually impaired to rise through the ranks of ultra-running.

Followed by Avril Copeland, who has pushed herself beyond physical and mental limits on the most daring tracks and trails of expedition racing worldwide.

Last weekend, Fair Game went on tour to the Women in Media conference in Ballybunion Co. Kerry, where a Women in Sport panel assembled to tackle the question 'Can sports journalism be the trojan horse for real change?' Our own Emily Glen was a featured panelist, alongside Cliona O'Leary of RTÉ Sport, Sharon Hutchinson of Sportswomen.ie, former Irish rugby captain Fiona Coghlan, WFAI's Sue Ronan and Sport Ireland's Anne McCarthy.

On this episode of Fair Game, runner Sara Treacy takes a pit-stop on her Road to Rio. We talk through her athletics career to date, hear all about her intensive training regimes, discuss access to funding and facilities, and break down the qualification process for this summer's 3000m steeplechase at the Olympic Games.

On this episode, we are tackling a topic that is all over ​the news at the moment: doping. It feels like ​fresh new allegations breakE practically every week - from tennis​ ​​to​ soccer​, and the constant shadow cast over athletics.​ How can sport be saved from the scourge of doping?​ ​We're joined by The Irish Sports Council’s Director of Participation & Ethics, Dr. Una May​, to discuss the issues at play for Irish athletes​​; and also we chat to retired race walker Olive Loughnane, who has been retrospectively upgraded to World Championships gold as a result of a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport​.​