Episodes
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Paul Kaye is one of the best known and much loved voices of IRONMAN, a proud South African who from a young age was well travelled and exposed to many places, faces and cultures which helped to shape his love of travel and ability to connect with people from all around the world.
His background in broadcasting and his passion for sport has seen him carve out a career in the endurance industry that saw his hobby turn into his profession and since pivoting into his role as an IRONMAN announcer he has played a significant role in raising the game for others to follow in elevating the athlete experience on race day at IRONMAN events all over the world. A two time IRONMAN, Paul returned to racing this year taking part in IRONMAN 70.3 Belgium last month.
In this episode he reflects on the transformative power of sport and of IRONMAN specifically, sharing deeply personal stories of overcoming challenges and highlights the importance of having a profound 'why' to push through adversity. The episode is filled with motivational insights and underscores the unifying and life-changing impact of IRONMAN on both individuals and communities alike.
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Youri Keulen is a 25 year old professional triathlete from The Netherlands. The eldest of triplets, he has been paving a path in sport from a young age, first as a footballer, then as a runner, where he claimed victory as a three-time national 800m champion in his teens.
Picked up by a triathlon talent ID programme in the Netherlands on the back of his running and biking ability, his dream of becoming an Olympian never materialised and shortly after Tokyo 2020 he parted ways with the Dutch National team.
Switching distances to take on his first middle distance race at IM 70.3 Maastricht in 2021 he was the fastest overall age grouper on the day, a few weeks later he made his pro debut at Challenge Peguera Mallorca and came fifth. Since then he has gone from strength to strength with some stand out performances including; Winning IM 70.3 Rapperswil -Jona in 2022. He finished in 6th place at last year's IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and followed that up with a win at Challenge Peguera Mallorca and Challenge Barcelona. Earlier this year he came fourth at the T100 in Miami before a stellar performance saw him break the tape to win the Singapore T100 which changed the game for the young athlete and catapulted him into the triathlon spotlight globally.
Youri shares insight into his life as a professional athlete, the importance of surrounding yourself with people who have the same vision and drive for you as you have for yourself, and also what his plans and aspirations are not only to the end of 2024, but beyond the next few months.
A wise mind on young shoulders, Youri is excited about his future in the sport and is committed to being not only the best athlete he can be, but also the best triathlete in the world, whilst also hoping that his sporting endeavours will inspire future generations of young athletes at home and abroad.
With a special connection to Ireland, through his girlfriend, former professional cyclist Imogen Cotter, Youri loves coming to Ireland and indeed loves the game of hurling, especially when Clare win.
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Irish Professional cyclist Fiona Mangan from Limerick has been blazing a trail on two wheels since switching her focus to cycling in 2020. The Biomedical Engineer was recently crowned both the 2024 Cycling Ireland Time Trial and Road Race Champion in front of a home crowd in Limerick in June of this year, adding to her already impressive CV of cycling results.
A successful gaelic footballer from a young age, she took up triathlon during her college years when she went to Atlanta on a one year student exchange. It wasn't until the pandemic struck that a real passion for cycling was ignited and from there she has excelled in the sport at home and abroad. From National Road Series winner in 2021 to becoming the first Irish woman to complete one of cycling's Grand Tours – La Vuelta Femenina in 2023, Fiona has truly embraced life as a professional cyclist.
Using Girona as her base she travels and races with her team Cynisca Cycling and when the opportunity arises and time permits she loves to come back home to Limerick to spend time with her family and friends. Still relatively new to professional cycling Fiona continues to go from strength to strength and has her sights firmly set on success in the sport, and with her French heritage it is no surprise that the Tour De France is on her bucket list!
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Last weekend a team of four riders from Galway Bay Cycling Club were crowned this year's Mondello24 Cycle four person team Champions securing a new course record in the process. The team comprising of; Cathal Dillane, Ronan Burke, Liam Kilkenny and Kirill Korliakov embarked on their 24 hour cycle on the International Racing track in Kildare on Saturday at 12 midday. A team with a diverse mix of cycling experience across a variety of disciplines, they had no experience of endurance racing, but that was all about to change.
Cathal is the most experienced road cyclist of the four, cycling for over three decades with multiple race and stage wins under his belt and a Man of the Rás, this was his first time experimenting with an event of this nature. Ronan, an avid competitive road racer in recent years and Rás rider last year, had never ventured into the world of endurance cycling. Liam, a former competitive swimmer and Kirill are both fans and participants of multiple disciplines of cycling, however they were also completely new to this format of team and endurance racing which was both exciting and daunting in equal measures.
Embracing the unknown of the 24 hour challenge, the team cycled themselves into the history books of the Mondello24 Cycle event with a performance to be extremely proud of. Managed by two time Solo Champion at Mondello24, Karen Cassidy, the team were in safe hands as she expertly steered them successfully to the finish line on Sunday midday and to a new course record. Completing 260 laps of the 3.5km track to finish with 902.2 km on the clock was a massive achievement.
Whilst their endurance racing experience going into the event might have been lacking, their passion, determination and willingness to give full commitment across the 24 hours, to support, respect and learn from each other was in abundance, as was the desire to succeed, to give as much as they each individually could to the team, supporting each other on and off the track, epitomising the "all for one and one for all" spirit throughout the event.
If you thought the challenge of Mondello24 was a step too far outside of your comfort zone to consider for yourself, then this chat will most definitely change your mind and give you plenty of food for thought, of what might just be possible when you gather a team of like-minded people with the same goal willing to go the distance collectively and individually.
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Greg O’Shea is a proud Olympian, IRONMAN and Limerick man who spent a few short days in the Love Island Villa in 2019 and was catapulted to fame when he was crowned the winner of the hugely popular reality show with his love interest at the time Amber Gill. Shying away from the spotlight, breaking the unwritten rules of engagement post his Love Island win, Greg headed for home in Ireland to pursue a lifelong sporting dream of becoming an Olympian. With his focus firmly on achieving his boyhood dream, his drive, focus and determination saw him and his team mates achieve success as Ireland's Rugby Sevens team at Tokyo 2020.
Retiring from professional sport, Greg started to dip his toes into the exciting world of endurance sport, from cycling a stage of the Tour de France, to completing a UTMB race, he completed IRONMAN Barcelona as his first ever triathlon last October and in April of this year he completed his first IRONMAN 70.3 and only his second triathlon at IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia. It is fair to say that the bug for endurance racing has firmly been caught. His passion for chasing goals, fitness related in particular and for inspiring people to follow their own fitness journey has seen him set up his Bettr App designed to improve the mental and physical health of its users.
Whilst all might seem perfect from the outside looking in at the life that Greg has carved for himself, as an athlete, presenter and recognised name at home and beyond, a darkness descended on him not so long ago where his mental health was significantly affected. Thankfully Greg sought the help and professional guidance needed to find his way through a very difficult time to come out the other side in a much better place. Greg now uses sport and exercise as one of his five pillars to keep him on track with his mental health.
This is a great chat with Greg who has worked hard to get where he is today, his perseverance, determination and focus have paid dividends personally and professionally, the future is bright and the world his oyster as he pursues his passions in sport, love and life!
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Triathlete Annie Brooks from the UK was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2012, in 2014 she completed her first triathlon and in October 2023 conquered the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona crossing the finish line like a boss with the biggest smile on her face.
Annie's journey in sport and in life is one of resilience, determination and courage, her positivity and passion for life and triathlon spills over through her bubbly personality despite the challenges and obstacles her health can put in her way.
With stress and fatigue a key factor in triggering an epileptic fit it is a wonder she is able to get to the startline of a race in once piece, fit and ready to tackle the swim, bike and run adventure that lies ahead, never mind get herself to the finish line of the most iconic IRONMAN race in the world in Kona.
This really is an inspiring chat with Annie, who shares a snippet of her life, living and thriving with a hidden disability, one that when it strikes, and it can strike at any time, can be so debilitating, frustrating and cause havoc to her daily living, never mind her training for triathlon which she simply does for fun and because she loves it.
It was my sister Michelle who asked me to get Annie as a guest on the podcast after Kona, she herself inspired and in awe of Annie's ability to live her life to the full despite her epilepsy. For those of you who don't know, Michelle has had epilepsy since her early teens and coupled with her cerebral palsy and the nature of her epilepsy can struggle to live life to the full. For Michelle and I think for many of us, Annie offers a beacon of hope into what is possible if you can find the adaptations to enable you to thrive despite your own individual challenges and when you find the sport or activity that ignites such a passion in you, it can help you to pursue a life brimming with fun and adventure.
If you enjoy this episode and want to follow Annie's upcoming adventures go to her website www.talesofanniebean.com you can also follow her on instagram @itsanniebean
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Lucy Gossage, Nikki Bartlett and Bex Milnes share wonderful insight into Lucy's recent remarkable Montane Spine Race achievement which she conquered in January of this year during one for the worst periods of weather the UK got this winter.
Professional triathlete Nikki and her partner Bex Milnes supported Lucy's endeavours with Bex capturing images and updates of Lucy on the Pennine Way, meanwhile, Nikki turned the images and information received into an exciting socials storybook of tales from inside the race, capturing the imagination and hearts of everyone eager to follow Lucy's progress as she embarked and conquered one of the toughest foot races in the world.
Stretching 268 miles or 431km from Edale in Derbyshire, England to the village of Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish Border on the Pennine Way, if you don't know where that is, then get out your map and check it out.
Lucy gives us a glimpse of just what her preparation for an endeavour of this nature entailed as well as great insight into how her race unfolded, although we gloss over some of the intricate and technical aspects of the race, we still get to understand the remarkable journey undertaken by the 14 time IRONMAN Champion as she ventures beyond her comfort zone into uncharted mental and physical territory, pushing her limits to the brink to discover her true capabilities.
In this episode, Bex and Nikki share their own version of Lucy's journey with some snippets of what it was like for them to follow the race as they closely and cautiously tracked her progress to the finishline. As the race proceeded on the Pennine Way for Lucy, another story was unfolding behind the scenes which, when unravelled, would have heartbreaking consequences for Lucy. Resilient and robust as she is, she faced the situation head on and began picking up the broken pieces one bit at a time as she concurrently recovered from what she had put her body and mind through to reach the finishline of the Spine Race.
As you can expect, bringing the four of us together for a chat, resulted in lots of high energy, fun and laughter, the power of sport and friendship between these three incredible women as they share their personal stories of this epic adventure will certainly put a smile on your face and I have no doubt inspire you to step well outside your comfort zone!
If you enjoy this show and want to find out more insight from Lucy about her Spine Race be sure to pop over to her website www.lucygossage.com
If you wish to support Move Against Cancer you can click on Lucy's Just giving page https://www.justgiving.com/page/lucy-gossage-spine-move and while you are here tuning into the podcast, why not check out the chats I had with Lucy (Ep 26) and Nikki (Ep 8) for the podcast in 2020 and 2019 respectively!
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Irish professional triathlete Aichlinn O'Reilly, set a new Irish IRONMAN record in a time of 7:59:04, finishing in 6th place at IM Western Australia in Busselton in early December of last year.
The young athlete from Mayo has been involved in the sport of triathlon on and off since he was a teenager. Moving to Perth just seven weeks before his IRONMAN race, with his committed return to the sport and his professional licence secured he is dedicated to keeping his passion for triathlon ignited and delivering performances in the sport to the best of his ability on the International stage.
No stranger to success in triathlon, the 2022 National Long Distance Champion has a trophy cabinet full of silverware with multiple podiums from his seasons of racing in 2017, 2018 and 2021. In 2016 he represented Ireland at European Cup Level and prior to that he represented Ireland at Junior European Cup Level in 2013 & 2014. An accomplished cyclist some of his most notable cycling results include winner of the 2021 edition of the Wild Mayo 300k Ultra and back in 2017 he was the overall Rás Maigh Eo winner.
A graduate of University of Limerick with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science, his interest in sport goes deeper than just his own performance in triathlon. In this episode, we dive right into Aichlinn's record-setting race getting insight into both his training in the lead-up to race day and race day itself. With his eyes set on racing on the world stage in 2024, we look forward to seeing how his season unfolds over the coming weeks and months, and if you are interested in financially supporting his journey in triathlon please do get in touch with Aichlinn directly.
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Bob Babbitt, is an icon and legend of the sport of triathlon, he fell in love with the sport when he completed his first IRONMAN in 1980 in Oahu, that day literally changed his whole life, for the better and he has never looked back.
A member of the IRONMAN Hall of Fame, USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, Co Founder of Competitor Magazine and the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Bob has been involved in the sport of triathlon for almost five decades and shows no sign of stopping or hanging up his trisuit.
Host of the hugely popular Breakfast with Bob he shares the incredible stories of athletes chasing their goals and dreams providing a much loved global platform to inspire others to take up the sport he so dearly loves and has dedicated most of the past fifty years to.
Trailblazer, innovator, entrepreneur, storyteller, author and multiple IRONMAN, Bob is one of the greatest historians of our sport with a thirst for knowledge and a curiosity that sparks a flame within him, his passion for triathlon isn't passive, its infectious and the entertaining stories shared about his own life in sport insights from the people he has interviewed through the years and those he has helped through the Challenged Athletes Foundation are truly inspiring.
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British triathlete Lucy Charles-Barclay last month completed a hat trick of World Titles in three years by becoming the 2023 IRONMAN World Champion, finally earning a World Title that had eluded her four times since her pro debut on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2017.
Lucy has finished in second place in Kona every time she has raced there before finally breaking the tape as the IRONMAN World Champion in a World's best time of 8:24:31 last month, on a day that will be remembered in sporting history for many years to come for a whole host of incredible achievements by the over 2,000 women who participated in the first ever Women's only IRONMAN World Championship race.
Lucy has been on an incredible journey in sport throughout her life, an impressive and driven athlete at a young age, her sights were always set on being the best in class in her chosen sport, whether that was swimming as her first love, to triathlon where she has excelled to become one of the most loved and best triathletes in the world.
The 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, and 2022 World Triathlon Long Distance World Champion hasn't been on an easy road to becoming a Multiple World Champion. Two major injury set-backs in recent times saw her and her team seek out in genius ways to keep her on track and ensure her journey to the IRONMAN World Championship finish line this year was not derailed but was kept firmly on track all the way to the top step of the World Championship podium.
Lucy's rise to sports superstar is hugely inspiring, her commitment to her craft, her tenacity, focus, determination and her resilience in the face of disappointment and adversity is something one can only admire whether a fan of the sport of triathlon or not. It's hard not to be a fan of Lucy Charles Barclay as we follow her life's journey in awe of her ability to continually push her mind and body to the limit in pursuit of success and achievement of her dreams.
This is a great chat with Lucy who shares incredible insight into her life and loves as she regales us with stories of her journey to the top of the world.
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Helen Murray is the voice behind the hugely popular podcast Inside Tri Show, she has been involved in media for many years fulfilling her goal of working for the BBC covering both the London and Rio Olympics and The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Gold Coast. She has been podcasting since 2014, going solo on her own weekly show since 2019, which has been a huge hit with her listeners across the globe.
Athlete, adventurer and all round awesome human, Helen has a special way of interacting with and interviewing people to get the best stories and most out them for her show. It's no surprise that away from her love of media and meeting people she has carved a career for herself that she loves as a Cancer Rehabilitation Specialist with Move Charity supporting young people who are going through a cancer journey to get back to sport and exercise.
Helen has been involved in triathlon since 2011 which has seen her take on lots of races and challenges including IRONMAN Austria and IRONMAN Wales. Her most recent adventure saw her complete the Pan Celtic Race earlier this year. This episode was recorded in the weeks prior to IRONMAN Wales which Helen was due to participate in last month, but unfortunately her plans got side lined through appendicitis in the days leading up to the race. She does however have big plans for 2024 across triathlon, adventure and her podcast which she talks about on the show.
This is a lovely chat with Helen who simply loves sport and loves her job! Take a listen and be uplifted, inspired and energised by her outlook on life and her tenacity and commitment to achieving her goals whether personal or professional.
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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.
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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 Championship 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.
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Shane Williams is a household name in sport worldwide, the former Welsh International rugby player is regarded as one of the greatest wingers and players of all time. With 87 caps for his country and multiple British and Irish Lions tour appearances, it is no wonder he is a World Rugby Hall of Fame Inductee and a winner of the World Rugby Player of the Year award. Embedded in sport for most of his life, when he retired from professional rugby in 2015 his love and passion for sport continued but took him in a very different direction.
Taking part in his first marathon in 2015, it wasn't long before the Welshman became captivated with endurance sport, in particular, triathlon and more specifically with IRONMAN. Somewhat cajoled into taking on his first ever IRONMAN, he didn't have far to travel to take on his first full-distance race at IRONMAN Wales in Tenby, which he has gone on to complete five times, first hearing the words Shane Williams You are an IRONMAN, in 2015.
It may come as a surprise to hear that on an IRONMAN Wales race morning, he is more nervous than lining up to play for Wales in the Principality Stadium. But, the goosebumps and passion he feels as he hears the Welsh National Anthem resound on North Beach in Tenby is one that fills him full of the same pride, excitement, and emotion he had as a professional rugby player and, when the gun goes he is more than ready, willing and able to race.
A high achiever in sport and competitive by nature, he is as passionate today about triathlon as he was for rugby during his playing days. Always looking to get the best out of himself and his performance in sport, life, and in business, triathlon has opened up a whole new world for Shane Williams, and in his own words says 'I'm hooked, it makes me feel so good'.
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British triathlete Ben Goodfellow took up triathlon in 2017, since then he has gone from strength to strength in the sport. In 2022 he had an incredible year of success, winning IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire outright, he was the overall age group winner at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea before being crowned the Mens 25-29 Age Group World Champion at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Utah last October.
Stepping up to full distance racing at IRONMAN UK in Bolton last year he finished in 4th place on debut at the distance. This year he moves from age group athlete into the professional ranks aiming to debut as a professional athlete at IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire in June. He will continue to work fulltime as an engineer for the foreseeable future whilst he also pursues his passion for sport.
Prior to racing across the IRONMAN events in the UK last year, Ben had racked up a series of super results in recent years. In 2021 he was the British Standard Distance Duathlon Champion, Helvellyn Triathlon Winner and Welsh Middle Distance Champion, his success coming on the back of his commitment and dedication to being the best athlete he can possibly be.
Although he was sporty as a child, as he moved through his teens he left sport behind in favour of time in the virtual world and in his own words became addicted to gaming. Enjoying and embracing his gaming a little too much, it was in his final year of university that he ditched the virtual world for reality and has risen steadily in the sport of triathlon.
Coached by Nathan Forde as part of Team NFT, Ben's star continues to rise and I expect we will see a lot more success as Ben navigates through the world of professional sport. Watch this space!
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British Professional triathlete Indie Lee recently kickstarted her 2023 season with a podium finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote finishing in second place, securing her slot for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland later this year.
No stranger to podiums or winning races, Indie is a three-time IRONMAN 70.3 Champion, taking the win in Weymouth in her first outing at middle distance racing in 2018, she went on to defend her title in 2019 after breaking the tape at IRONMAN 70.3 Finland earlier in the season. Since switching her focus from sprint and Olympic distance racing to middle distance racing she has found another gear that has seen her continue to excel as a professional triathlete. Racing her first IRONMAN in Israel last year she finished in sixth place which considering her short turnaround after the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Utah in October was an even more impressive result than at first glance.
Indie has been immersed in sport from a young age with running most definitely on her radar, her early success in sport saw her move to the US on a college scholarship to pursue her passion for sport. It is triathlon that she has now found as her sport of choice, having raced successfully as an age group and elite athlete, the 2016 European Triathlon Champion has gone from strength to strength as she has journeyed through the sport of triathlon as a professional athlete.
This is a super chat with Indie who shares great insight into her career, her struggle at times with her own self belief and confidence all whilst embracing a career that she simply loves. Indie has an exciting future in sport ahead of her, watch this space as she continues to rise to achieve her goals in life and sport.
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Paddy McLaughlin of Podiumfit.ie has embraced a life in triathlon and sport as both his profession and his passion. Working in sport and fitness for over 20 years with a variety of qualifications, he is a Level 3 Coach, a physical therapist, Bikefit® and Gebiomized qualified Bike fitter and an athlete who has tackled some of the toughest triathlon races in the world.
Not shy of taking on a challenging race he has completed multiple extreme events including the Celtman on three occasions, he finished with a black jersey in the Norseman and has also taken part in The Brutal Xtreme Triathlons.
Paddy has completed over 20 full distance triathlons including multiple IRONMAN events, was the winner of the Irish Double IRONMAN in 2013 and as well as completing four marathons in four days around the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal, he took part in the first edition of The Race Around Ireland in 2009.
Sport has been in his life from a young age from karate, kickboxing and rugby to triathlon, he is passionate about sport not only as an athlete himself but in supporting his coached athletes achieve their goals and potential, it is no surprise that he was Triathlon Ireland Coach of the Year in 2015.
Shying away from the spotlight generally, he is not afraid of pushing himself outside of his comfort zone when it comes to participating in sport himself or setting lofty goals and challenges that push him physically and mentally all the way to the finish line.
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Tricia Strelioff from Canada has spent the last 20 years in Ireland embracing a life in sport. A chartered physiotherapist working out of her practice, Maple Motion Chartered Physiotherapy in Galway, she has embraced many adventures over the years through her love of cycling and triathlon.
With her appetite for a challenge and travel, she took up triathlon just before she turned 40 and has raced at five IRONMAN events and a multitude of middle distance races since then. She makes a conscious effort to rarely return to the same place for a race, always seeking new locations to explore and enjoy. She recently raced at IRONMAN 70.3 Oman, finishing third in her age group stamping her ticket to race at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Finland in August of this year.
Triathlon and indeed cycling is a huge part of her life, the friends she has amassed over the years through sport becoming her tribe and a very important ingredient in her success in sport and beyond. With her vibrant, energetic personality and can-do attitude you cannot but be motivated to keep moving forward, chasing and achieving goals when in Tricia's company.
This is a great episode of the podcast, slightly different to many of our other episodes but the perfect guest choice to celebrate International Women's Day
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Irish Olympian and World Champion Gymnast Rhys McClenaghan has been blazing a trail in gymnastics since first taking up the sport as a young boy, and despite the lure of swimming and football, he knew from an early age that gymnastics was the sport that would capture his heart and his mind.
He has had huge success in the sport and his star continues to rise as he performs intricate, technical and fast paced routines on the pommel horse. With a trophy cabinet bursting at the seams he was Ireland's first gymnast to win medals at European and World level and to reach an Olympic final.
Some of his key achievements include; becoming World Champion on the pommel horse and winning a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games last year. In 2021 he competed in his first Olympic Games in Tokyo finishing seventh in the final. Prior to that Rhys has won bronze in the World Championships in Germany and won Gold at the World Cup in Slovenia in 2019. In 2018 he became European Champion and Commonwealth Champion. In 2016 as a junior gymnast he won the first European Championship medal in history for Ireland, taking silver on the pommel horse at the Junior European Gymnastics Championship.
Based in Dublin, Rhys along with his coach Luke Carson, have one golden goal in mind over the coming months, that is winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At 24 years old Rhys is determined, committed and dedicated to his craft, his love of gymnastics and passion for success driving him to strive every single day to be the best gymnast he can possibly be.
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Ten years on from the London Olympics she has certainly come into her own as a force to be reckoned with over ultra distance running as one of the best Ultra Marathon runners in the World. Securing the bronze medal in the IAU 100km World Championships last year she also added a gold in the 50km European Championship to her name. She completed her 100km race in 7.07.16 and set a new national record for the distance whilst also setting a new 50-mile record too! She has previously finished on the podium in third place at the Comrades Marathon, the ultimate Human race and hopes to go as well if not better at this event in 2023. In June 2021 she won the Anglo Celtic Plate at Mondello Park with an impressive 7.43.01 in the 100km race.
In addition to her Ultra Running success, Caitriona has also racked up wins and podium finishes at the marathon distance, breaking the tape at the 2022 Great Limerick Run she also finished third at the Hong Kong Marathon in 2021 and has over the years secured multiple national titles across a range of running distances.
By her own self-admission, it took Caitriona a long time to get over her performance in London, where she endured a stress fracture during the race, despite the injury it is no doubt her grit, determination and inner drive to succeed saw her cross the finish line on the day. Her finish time was far from where she had hoped or expected, but it's that steely determination, unwavering focus and commitment to her craft that has seen her take ultra running in her stride and deliver results that 10 years ago she couldn't even have imagined. This is a super episode of the podcast with a shining star that I have no doubt will continue to excel for many years in the sport she loves.
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