When did you first get into Triathlons?

I joined the club about two years ago after going on holidays with some friends who were going to Sweden that year to do an Iron man and they had been raving about the whole sport

It took me a few years before I got to join a club and plan for my first Triathlon but I have not looked back since and absolutely love it.

What was your first?

Lough Key Tri a Tri in 2014. Not having a swimming background was certainly daunting and it was a challenge but I got through the swim and signed up for the Letterkenny Tri a Tri shortly afterwards.

What has been your favourite event to date?

I did the Tri Athlone last year as it is a home event for me and as it was on a Saturday evening there was a great buzz around the streets of Athlone with lots of people and family out supporting you on the run around the castle. As the swim is all downstream it makes for a fast swim also which is great, I am looking forward to doing it again this coming year.

What would your most important tip for anyone starting triathlons?

Have a go at it as you will never succeed unless you start somewhere and once you start you will be bitten by the Triathlon bug and you won’t want to stop. You will always find lots of supportive club members who are on hand to give you lots of tips, support and encouragement. There is lots of training sessions to help you on your way and is a good motivation for keeping a routine going. Consistency is key and mixing up your training sessions. Adding in some core work to help with strength and conditioning. Remember if you do the same thing each time you train you will get the same results so mixing it up always helps.

What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards to competition, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?

It definitely helps to be stubborn and not give up particularly when you are starting out and learning the swim technique can be daunting so remaining focused and setting yourself realistic goals you can achieve is definitely a help. I am trying to improve my swim time and doing sprints in the pool is a big help along with the paddles to improve on the pull through the water

What bike do you cycle?

I have a Merida Juliet 91 road bike which I have for the last five years which has been on cycle holidays in Scotland and Wales on a few occasions

What wetsuit do you wear?

I bought a second had Orca wetsuit from a certain swim coach which has done me for the last two years so I think it is time to upgrade and get a new one this year now that it is getting a bit frayed

What other sports or hobbies do you partake in?

I am afraid I don’t have much spare time as Triathlon takes up most of my free time these days although I do also love skiing and try to go each year but I am not mad enough for the black slopes so I stick to the red slopes and of course the après ski!

What sports person (across any sport) do you most admire?

The Iron Cowboy - James Lawrence who did 50 Ironmen in 50 states in 50 days what an achievement

I also love Michael Schumacher for his determination to never give up at least during his F1 career and having seen him in the flesh at the 2000 Melbourne Grand Prix what a legend

What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?

I am enjoying the Turbo sessions on the bike and it helps the motivation doing it as a group

Pilates is great for stretching out the muscles and avoiding injury

The only training sessions I don’t like are the ones I plan and don’t get to do – getting the 7.00 am run in is a great set up for the rest of the day but it can be difficult over the winter months

What piece of training / racing gadgetry could you not do without?

Not much of a gadget person but working out my zones for the bike has been good and gives you a good idea of what you need to do to improve

What one performance to date are you most proud of and why?

I loved the Sea to Summit in November as it had the added bonus of having to run up Croagh Patrick to give the calves a good old test and hope to be back next year

What are your goals for the coming season?

I am hoping to do my first half marathon in March, Tour of Sligo in May and Tri Athlone in the summer. Hopefully a couple of other triathlons too