Tri Talking Sport

Cath Pendleton has become a household name in recent times as the focus of a recent BBC documentary that followed her adventures as an ice swimmer all the way to Antarctica. Known as “The Merthyr Mermaid,” she earned a Guinness World Record for “The most southerly Ice Swim (female)” as the first person to swim a mile inside the Antarctica Polar Circle. Her Zero Ice Mile was in 0.03°C water and -3.20°C air. She completed the mammoth swim in 32 minutes 54 seconds.

Olympian Gavin Noble is the Deputy Chef de Mission and Marketing lead for Team Ireland, a role he has embraced alongside his coaching role as one half of HupHup with Eanna McGrath.

Daire Feeley is a former professional cyclist from Roscommon. The 24 year old has been on a roller coaster of a ride in cycling from a young age. Embarking on his professional career in the sport in his late teens, he climbed the ranks, earning hard-fought places on teams and has raced all over Ireland, Europe, America, Asia and in European and World Championship level races with Ireland.

Joe Skipper is one of the best long distance endurance athletes in the world, reflected in his current 7th place in the PTO rankings. The Winner of IRONMAN UK, IRONMAN Florida and IRONMAN New Zealand, he was 6th at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona in 2019 and 7th in 2018. He is also the British 12 Hour TT record holder setting a blistering pace in the 2020 event to cover 325 miles on the day.

Annah Watkinson is the current South African female IRONMAN record holder who is pursuing her passion as a professional triathlete, whilst balancing a successful career with Absa Corporate and Investment Bank. Annah is a Director, heading up Global Finance for the Coastal Regions. Her passion for both her professions is evident from the success she has enjoyed across all areas of her busy life.

Emma Pallant is a name synonymous with success in sport, firstly as a runner and more recently in endurance sport and triathlon. Identified at young age as a talented athlete she embarked on a sporting journey as a runner and earned a string of successes and wins to her name at a local, national and international level.

Gerry Duffy from Mullingar in Co. Westmeath is a runner, triathlete, motivational speaker, author, teacher and all-round inspiration. Throughout his thirties and forties, Gerry developed a passion for sport; running and triathlon, in particular, resulting in him tackling some epic endurance challenges including running 32 marathons in 32 days (2010) as well as completing a DECA Iron Distance Triathlon (2011) which consisted of swimming 24 miles, cycling, 1,160 miles and running 262 miles. But the biggest challenge of all was to push completely outside of his comfort zone to overcome a fear of public speaking. He is now one of the most sought after and leading professional motivational speakers in Ireland with his own speaker school.

Michelle Heneghan from Claremorris in Co Mayo has spent the last 10 years in Canada embracing an active lifestyle and a passion for triathlon and running coupled with a love for exploration. A competitive track and field and cross country runner as a young athlete her interest in the sport faded as she moved from secondary school to University, taking a break from the sport but continuing to remain active through her love of Gaelic Football.

Nikki Bradley is an adaptive adventurer who enjoys mountain climbing, abseiling and pushing her limits with a focus and positivity that knows no bounds. Following a cancer diagnosis at the age of 16 which changed the direction of her life completely, she does not let obstacles or challenges stop her from achieving her goals in life and in sport.

Tiffiny Quinn is an Irish sea swimmer and ice swimmer who has embraced swimming in recent years and by her own admission is ‘happiest in the water.' Her passion for swimming and the water has led her on a glorious voyage of swimming, adventure, friendship and fun over the past number of years since first being introduced to the sport.

June McMinn and Gerard Turbitt are not your average age group athletes, they are passionate accomplished triathletes who have no intention of slowing down in sport or in life as they embrace getting older. Their journey to triathlon and success in the sport is fascinating with both of them really taking to triathlon at what for many would be seen as a late stage in their lives. June took up the sport at the age of 55 and Gerard returned to the sport in his late 50’s after taking an extended break from running and triathlon.

Mark Allen is a name synonymous with triathlon and IRONMAN in particular. The six time Ironman World Champion is one of the greatest athletes of all time and a living legend. His triathlon career spanned 15 seasons. In that time he had many successes in sport, winning the first ever ITU Triathlon World Championships in 1989, he also won the Nice Triathlon 10 times consecutively and had a 20 race winning streak from 1988 -1990 which is simply incredible.

In this episode, I’m mixing things up slightly and am delighted to feature two Galway Girls who epitomise the fact that you are never too young or too old to embrace a life of adventure and opportunity through sport. Shauna Bocquet and Pauline Murray will have you lacing up your runners and getting out the door for an adventure by the time you have finished listening to the show.

Rachel Nolan is the first ever female to win the TransAtlantic Way Ultra Bike Race outright, a 2,200 km self supported race from Derry to Kinsale in Co Cork. She has amassed an incredible amount of success in adventure racing and endurance events in recent years and is one of Ireland's leading adventure athletes.

Mirinda Carfrae is one of the best and most notable triathletes in the world. Rinny as she is known, completed her first IRONMAN race in Kona, Hawaii at the World Championships in 2009, where she finished in second place. In 2010 she was crowned the World Champion for the first time and since then she has been crowned the IRONMAN World Champion twice more in both 2013 and 2014.

Katrina Matthews, British Army Physiotherapist and BMC-Vifit athlete has blazed a trail in triathlon since taking up the sport just a few years ago. As an amateur, she excelled quickly with numerous titles and wins under her belt. She joined the professional ranks of triathlon in 2019 a little earlier than even she expected after a superb performance at Challenge Gran Canaria finishing as 1st Amateur and 2nd overall on the day.

Ronan McLaughlin is a former professional rider from Muff in Donegal, he has spent more of his 33 years in the saddle than he has on his two feet and now holds the Everesting World Record which he set on July 30th of this year.

Joe Barr has been riding his bike for 45 + years and has no plans to stop pedalling or slow down any time soon! The 61 year old rider has blazed a trail in ultra-endurance cycling and continues to push boundaries in his sport, setting and breaking records, winning races outright & proudly cycling his way into the world history books. He recently broke his own record for the Malin -Mizen- Malin route of 738 miles in 44 hours and 15 minutes setting not one but three ultra-cycling world records in the process.

Russell White is an Elite Irish ITU Triathlete and Olympic hopeful with his sights set on racing for Ireland in Tokyo 2021. Russell has been on an incredible journey in sport since his first foray into swimming as a young boy also pursuing a passion for hockey at a high level for a number of years before taking the plunge into triathlon and never looking back since.

Ger Redmond is an Irish Professional Triathlete who has had a colourful journey to where he is today. The multiple IRONMAN has had a life filled with highs, lows and a host of twists and turns including a two year term in Mountjoy prison.

Irish cyclist Imogen Cotter from Co. Clare is based in Belgium since late 2018. The 26-year-old was second in the Elite National Road Championships in 2019 and has her sights firmly set on becoming a professional cyclist.

Ruth Astle has proved to be an exceptional triathlete since taking up triathlon in 2013, with multiple podiums over the past number of years she took the decision to move to the professional ranks of the sport after being crowned the overall IRONMAN Age Group World Champion in Kona last year.

Galway’s Gavan Hennigan is an ultra-endurance adventurer who has turned his dark days and turmoil as a young man into a beacon of hope and a shining light building an outstanding reputation for himself in the world of extreme adventure sports.

Sarah Crowley is a multiple triathlon champion across short and long course racing, a talented and dedicated athlete from Adelaide in Australia she has carved a career in sport that has seen her finish 3rd at the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona in both 2019 and 2017.

Bryan McCrystal is an Irish athlete that is synonymous with determination, commitment and raw passion. Ireland’s IRONMAN record holder has very much paved his own road to success as a professional footballer, a runner, cyclist and now as a professional triathlete.

Lucy Gossage the UK based former professional triathlete and household name in sport has had a superb career of triathlon racing first as an age grouper, then part time pro, before taking time out from her role as cancer doctor to pursue her passion for triathlon as a full time professional for two and a half years.

Cillian Moffat is a 28 year old former hurler turned triathlete who has enjoyed some super success during his short time as an advocate and athlete of endurance sport. In 2016 at IRONMAN Wales, the Dublin based athlete became the youngest Irish person to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona Hawaii.

Rosie Foley's sporting CV is exceptional both on the rugby pitch and in the open water. Her belief that you should live your life to the full and simply do your best today is very clear in our conversation in this episode.

Eve McCrystal and Katie George Dunleavy have taken the cycling world by storm in recent years. Household names in sport these extremely talented and tenacious female athletes together are the tandem team that have secured a whole host of success on two wheels for Ireland. Winning both gold and silver at the Rio Paralympics in 2016 in time trial and track respectively before becoming multiple Para-Cycling World Champions.

Olympian and fellow Corkonian Lizzie Lee has produced some incredible results as an endurance athlete since turning her hand to triathlon a number of years ago before deciding to focus on running as her primary sport of choice.

Donnacha McCarthy is an elite paratriathlete who took up the sport of triathlon in 2017. He races in the PTVI category as a visually impaired athlete. Losing his sight at a young age has not stopped him from pursuing his sporting goals and dreams.

Graham Macken is an Irish triathlete, cyclist, runner and keen endurance athlete who has been chasing his breaking point in his sporting endeavours. In this episode the 35 year old from Navan in Co. Meath gives us an insight into his life as an amateur athlete. A Race Around Ireland finisher both as a duo and a solo rider, he has previously crewed for Race Across America as well as holding the title of being the only Irish two person team to complete the iconic RAAM endurance cycling race, this year he will return to the US to chase his breaking point as a solo rider.

In this episode we feature three strong advocates for the sport of triathlon who have followed their passion for the sport to make it not just a hobby, but a way of life. Triathlon has changed their lives dramatically, their passion, drive and commitment to the sport is evident all the way through this episode.

Irish Ice swimmer Ger Kennedy is an accomplished ice swimmer and recently became the first man in the world to complete the seven Ice swims, it’s like the equivalent of the seven oceans but the swims must be 1mile in length under standard ice swimming rules.

Con and Aaron Doherty are from Westport in Co Mayo, two bothers who have raced internationally for Ireland across running, triathlon and cycling. We shoot the breeze about life as an athlete, setting goals, mastering skills, making mistakes, sibling rivalry and the importance of self discipline.

Simon Smith has recently returned from an adventure that saw him race at IM 70.3 Marrakech, Morocco in October and then jump on his bike to make his way home to Clifden, Connemara in 30 days fundraising for two local charities in the process. Simon’s journey to this adventure is one of determination, passion and positivity but it hasn’t been an easy road. Ten years ago Simon suffered from severe mental distress and depression, this is his journey of recovery.

This is our 15th episode of the show and our guest this week is Haley Chura, a professional athlete based in Bozeman in the USA. She is cohost of the popular Ironwomen Podcast with Alyssa Godesky and was the MC of the Outspoken Summit in Tempe Arizona which we chat about in this episode. 

This is the second of our KBC Dublin Marathon special shows celebrating the 40th edition of the marathon in Dublin.

This episode is one of a number of episodes to be released over the coming weeks featuring some of the people and characters I met over a wonderful few days at the KBC Dublin Marathon and Expo.

This bonus episode was recorded at the recent Triathlon Ireland Women's Health & Wellbeing Conference in Dublin and features the athlete panel discussion. On the panel are Paralympic gold medallist Eve McCrystal, who is pilot for paracyclist Katie George Dunlevy. Fiona O'Donnell, nutritionist and lifestyle coach from West Cork an avid triathlete and a kidney transplant recipient. Also from West Cork Triathlon Club is Ber Downey who is continuing her triathlon training whilst undergoing treatment for breast cancer The final panelist Dr. Hilary Hughes is the current Middle Distance National Champion and winner of the 2019 BMW Triathlon National Series.

In this episode, former professional rugby player Damian Browne from Galway talks about his adventures in rugby, running, rowing and mountain climbing, all in the ambitious pursuit of living an extra-ordinary life.

In this episode, I chat with professional triathlete Laura Siddall who was knee-deep in IRONMAN Wales preparation when we caught up on Thursday of race week in Tenby. 

Owen Martin celebrates his 10th anniversary of chasing dreams in triathlon, returning to the Big Island of Hawaii to race at the 2019 World Championships in Kona. Owen started out in triathlon back in 2004 and has raced at all distances and all levels of triathlon since then, triathlon is his passion and now his almost full time career as both an athlete and coach.

Kayanne Horgan and Valerie Fogarty from Galway Triathlon Club completed IRONMAN Sweden in August this year.  This episode brings us through their road to IRONMAN and their adventure to the finish line.  We chat about what brought them together, their training and the fun they had along the way supported by a wonderful tribe of family, friends and fellow triathletes. They call themselves accidental IRONMAN athletes and remain extremely humble as to what they have achieved in becoming an IRONMAN. 

Nikki Bartlett is a professional triathlete from the UK, she has taken a diverse road to triathlon, leaving her life as a rower behind due to injury, she has been racing professionally as a triathlete for 4 years. 

Dee Newell and Fergal Madden take centre stage in this episode, fresh from their completion of swimming the English Channel from The UK to France. Although they both completed the swim on the same weekend, they completed it solo. Fergal started just before midnight on the Friday completing the swim in 16 hours and 46 minutes.  Dee started just before 1am on the Saturday and completed her Channel crossing in 14 hours and 54 minutes. 

Shane Finn from Co. Kerry ran his first marathon in 2010 at the age of 17, since then he has pursued a busy and active lifestyle of participating in endurance events including multiple marathons and IRONMAN races. 

Chris Mintern is a 25 year old triathlete from Cork, he has been taking part in the sport of triathlon for a little over 10 years. He is the current Irish National Champion across Sprint, Standard and Middle Distances after back to back wins in the Standard and Middle Distance races only 8 days apart in June/ July 2019

Mike Reilly is renowned across the world as the voice of Ironman, based out of San Diego in the USA,  IRONMAN Ireland Cork was his 185th IRONMAN race. He has called close to 400,000 athletes across the line to the legendary words of ‘You are an IRONMAN’.

Forty Seven year old Leo Hynes, from Tuam in Co. Galway is a proud member of Tri Lakes Triathlon Club.  He was a keen triathlete from 2009 – 2012 despite being diagnosed with Macular Degeneration in 2009.  Although treatable for a number of years, the treatment stopped working in 2015, leaving him with just 10% vision in his right eye. He is now considered legally blind. 

In this episode, we chat with Ray O'Connor from Galway. Ray is an avid runner and ultra distance enthusiast with 169 marathons under his belt to date.

In this first episode we chat with triathlete Caroline Heffernan from Tri Lakes Triathlon Club in Galway. Caroline, a mum of 2 is an avid triathlete and sports fan despite suffering from Cystic Fibrosis.

Tri Talking Sport with Joanne Murphy, the podium podcast for Athletes, Adventurers and Endurance Enthusiasts. Launches May 22nd 2019