FlowState Issue 8

dealing with trying to get researchers back into the labs and also
how to teach remotely and examine remotely so it was all a bit
crazy. Training has always been a quiet place where I process
thoughts but that is much easier on a river than in a shed. I
trained to my normal schedule 12-14 sessions per week. I
normally have 2-3 swims in that, and these were replaced with
erg paddles. I borrowed some gym equipment from NUI Galway
which helped enormously with the 2-3 gym sessions. I live more
than 5km from the river or lake, so I stayed off the water until the
restrictions eased. We altered the plan once it became clear
that there would be no Paralympic Games and hopefully the work
will have built my base and resilience for the coming year. There
was an allowance for elite athletes to train during recent
restrictions so I can train on the river which is right beside work.
I’m about 50:50 working from my office and home at this stage
which is an interesting balancing act. In winter I would normally
do more erg’ work anyway so it’s not that much different now and
I have upgraded my home gym with weights, safety cage, bench,
pull up, dips and bench pull equipment, so I am now
self-sufficient to deal with whatever happens with gym access.
The biggest issue is not meeting anyone when training.
When the lockdown eased, I got out for some sessions with the
gang in Galway Kayak Club which was great, and I swam with a
regular group in the Kingfisher pool in NUI Galway. Both of
those are gone for the moment.
What are the plans for the lead into the Tokyo Games next
summer? Will you get a chance to travel over for any camps
before? Or will it be the case of travelling over for the race itself?
I was fortunate to travel to Tokyo for the test event in September
2019 which was a great experience. Assuming the plan for this
year stays the same, I don’t intend to train in advance in Japan
prior to the Games. The logistics of having two training boats
available is horrendous! It’s too long a story for here but the
saga of the one training boat that went to Brazil a year before
Rio and never came back is worth talking about at some stage.
Instead, we will hold a training camp in Galway. We did this
before the worlds in 2019 and it was really successful. Neil
came down to Galway and Matt Skeels a chemist paddler from
the states came over to train and spar with me. We set up a
course on the Corrib and borrowed a launch from the NUI
Galway boat club and had some really high-quality training. If we
can replicate that prior to Tokyo maybe bringing in one or two
more paddlers that Neil works with from Celbridge and maybe
some of my paddler friends in Cork, it would be great- obviously
Covid allowing. The plan would be to travel to Tokyo directly and
arrive as the village opens. The Paracanoe events are on the
last three days of the Games so there will be plenty of time to
acclimatise.
You are the first ever athlete to qualify for Ireland in the
Paralympic Games. What are your hopes for the discipline
of Paracanoe in Ireland? Do you hope that your successes
in this sport will act as an inspiration to get more
prospective para-athletes into the sport?
Paracanoe is a really accessible sport. We definitely have clubs
that can support athletes with disabilities to compete at an elite
level. For my disability class there is really no adaption of
approach needed. I can bring my own boat to and from the water
and if I fall out, I can swim and get back in. For higher levels of
disabilities it does require more support initially. Help moving
boats and maybe someone in a more stable boat like a sea kayak
or launch as safety support, but it is really doable.
I would love to see people engaging with it as a sport. I
would love to see Canoeing Ireland engaging with the national
rehabilitation hospital and other organisations to try to actively
bring people into the sport. For a small nation we have
considerable experience with myself and Neil and we would love
to see more people taking part. I would love to be overtaken by a
younger generation - just maybe not before Tokyo!
Barry Loughnane
Performance
CORNER
Patrick hard at work in his home set up.
Aoife Hanrahan shares some sage advice on taking stock in the
midst of an overwhelming year and we look forward to the Coach
Education Awards in 2021.
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