Tri Talking Sport

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.