Tri Talking Sport

Irish Sailor Tom Dolan from Co. Meath has carved a most unexpected career for himself on the high seas. Winner of the 2024 Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, Tom sailed himself into the history books as the first Irish sailor and only the third non-French competitor to win this prestigious race in its fifty five year history, cementing his position and reputation as a world class sailor. He subsequently was awarded Irish Sailor of the year in February of this year for the second time. An unlikely career for a man who grew up on a farm in Co. Meath where Gaelic Football was the sport of choice and sailing was something he watched on TV dreaming of one day sailing the high seas. But dreams do come true and for Tom, although it was an unconventional career path and to say the least a hard graft learning all the skills, insights and intricacies of sailing he earned his stripes from the ground up. Relentless in his pursuit of excellence, his grit, determination and resilience to embrace his passion for sailing saw him follow his heart and love of the sport to France over a decade ago. Immersing himself in one of the world's most competitive sailing environments it provide the perfect playground for Tom to flourish, hone his craft and gain vast experience to become one of the best off-shore sailors in the world. Known as 'The Flying Irishman,' Tom's journey has been anything but smooth sailing. In this episode, he shares the highs and lows of his career, offering insight into the technical and mental demands of elite level racing, the toll of sleep deprivation and hallucinations at sea, and the vital role of a strong support team. His story is not just one of overcoming odds, but of staying true to a passion, trusting the process and proving that with commitment and belief, even the wildest dreams can become reality.

Nora 'Nono' McHugh from Galway is a true pioneer in Irish sport. She made history in 1973 as the first-ever captain of the Irish Women's National Football Team, leading her squad to a memorable victory against Wales. But her love of sport began long before that, from kicking a ball on the streets of the Claddagh to playing every game imaginable in the Swamp, her journey is one of passion, grit, and unwavering determination. Nono's sporting success spans far beyond football, with remarkable achievements across many sports including Gaelic football, camogie, badminton and more. Her dedication and contribution to Irish sport has been recognised nationally and locally with her induction into the FAI Hall of Fame last year, and more recently, she received the prestigious Galway Sports Stars Hall of Fame Award. Nono takes us on a heartfelt journey through her life, sharing vivid stories from her early days growing up in the Claddagh, her adventures in sport both at home and abroad, and the challenges of balancing athletic ambition with personal responsibilities. She reflects on the power of sport to shape identity and build community, offering her signature wit and wisdom along the way. Now in her 70s, Nono remains as active as ever, swimming daily at Blackrock in Salthill, going to the gym, and staying deeply connected to her local sporting communities. She's a firm believer that staying active and finding a supportive and encouraging community is key, especially as we age. Despite her incredible athletic accomplishments, Nono's humility shines through, for her, the greatest reward is the pride and recognition of her family. This episode is more than a celebration of Nono's life in sport, it's a powerful reminder that passion, perseverance, and a sense of community matter at every stage of life. No matter your age or ability, there's always a place for sport in your story.

In September of this year, Germany's Laura Philipp was crowned the 2024 Vinfast IRONMAN World Champion in a thrilling race in Nice, France. Her rise to the top step of the IRONMAN World Championship podium has seen her achieve lots of success in a sport that was never even on her radar for many years, in fact she only learned how to swim when she was 24, something that has certainly not held her back from becoming a world class triathlete and one of the sport's most successful athletes. Her professional career took off after taking victory at IRONMAN 70.3 in Mallorca in 2016, and since then, Laura has consistently climbed the ranks, securing titles and podium finishes around the world. She is a multiple IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 Champion, the 2022 Ironman European Champion, the 2023 IRONMAN African Champion and IRONMAN 70.3 European Champion, she finished in 3rd place in Kona last year and this year she achieved her dream of becoming the IRONMAN World Champion. Laura shares lots of insight about many aspects of her life as an athlete from the importance of aligning her training to her menstrual cycle, to balancing her fuelling needs as a vegetarian with the demands of her training and racing schedule. With her number one supporter; her husband Philipp by her side every step of the way taking on multiple roles as husband, coach, business partner and bike mechanic to name a few, she shares some snippets into life together chasing goals and the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between professional and personal life. Laura's happiness is infectious, she believes a happy athlete is a fast athlete, her enjoyment of a piece of cake every day important in ensuring she gets the balance right in life even at the highest level of sporting success. Her 'train smart, have fun and kick ass' mantra is one that we could all benefit from embracing as we each strive to pursue our own ambitions in sport and in life. This episode is packed with fun and laughter, motivation and actionable insights for athletes and fans alike. Whilst we don't go into the specifics of her World Championship victory in Nice, we do get to know Laura on a personal level and discover just some of the formula of what it takes to become an IRONMAN World Champion

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.

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.

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

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.

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.