Lara O’Byrne is a very impressive young woman. She has been the club’s most prolific medal winner in recent years. Her tally is much too long to be included here, but among her collection are gold in the National Indoor combined events championship in January 2019 and the National Junior Heptathlon championships in June 2019. She won the Dublin Juvenile Athlete of the Year award in 2018 after winning a gold (100m), silver (Long Jump) and bronze (Shot Putt) in the National Under 19 T&F champs. In this interview she talks about the joy of representing Ireland at the SIAB Games – and how she juggles college work with her athletics training…
STANDARD QUESTIONS
PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? I was born in Dublin on 10th November 2000
WHERE ARE YOU BEING EDUCATED? I’m studying in Trinity College doing biological and biomedical science
WHAT IS YOUR PLANNED CAREER PATH? I want to study environmental science in third year and then go on to be an environmental scientist
IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? I joined in 2010 when I was nine
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? My best friend Cara, her dad Liam Brennan used to run for Donore Harriers. He was a sprinter and brought us down one day in May in 2010. I’ve been there ever since
WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? No, not in athletics
DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? I played camogie for Lucan Sarsfield, and football on a boys’ team for Ballyowen Celtic. I did taekwondo, Irish dancing, dancing, GAA football for my school team, cricket on a school team
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? My favourite is high jump and hurdles I can’t choose between the two
WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT ROLE AT THE CLUB? Athlete
WHO WERE/ARE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? Jessica Ennis has always been my number one idol. She such a lovely person as well as being one of the greatest heptathletes of all time. One thing that I admired about her is that she came back and won the world Championships one year after having a baby. I also love Kevin Mayer who smashed the world Decathlon record
SOCIAL QUESTIONS
WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? The Longest Holiday by Paige Toon
WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? James Arthur was the last concert I’ve been to
WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS?
1. Soul surfer
2. Maze runner
3. 10 things I hate about you
FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? Definitely America because it’s just such a different world and Florida is my favourite place ever. I’m such an adrenaline junkie so I love going on all the rides in the theme parks
WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? I love anything that’s outdoors. I love swimming in the sea, hiking in the mountains, wakeboarding, skating, literally anything that’s active outdoors
IF DISERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
1. Bazzi – Young and Alive
2. Ariana Grande – Stuck with You
3. GASHI – Safety
ATHLETICS QUESTIONS
WHO IS YOUR COACH? Ciaran Donohoe who’s a multi events coach
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? Definitely, it was getting my first Irish vest in 2017. I won the national school’s pentathlon and qualified for the SIABs (School International Athletics Board) in Glasgow. It was my biggest goal in athletics to get the Irish vest and I’m so happy I got to represent my country
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES/MARKS (PBs)?
1. High Jump – 1.66m
2. Long Jump – 5.19m
3. 100m Hurdles – 14.91s
4. Javelin – 28.83m
5. Shot Putt – 10.03m
6. 200m – 26.89
7. 800m – 2.22:93
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? A high jump session is always the most fun, but I really do enjoy every single session and event
DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE? Any lactic session kills me because I have exertion migraines and I can’t move for about a half an hour after lactic session. For example, 2 x 150, 120, 80 would kill me as I
put my all into each session and I find it hard to finish them as the headaches would literally put me on the ground
WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN I train in the gym on a Monday and Friday and on the track on a Tuesday and Thursday
DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY STORY RELATED TO ATHLETICS/THE CLUB? Over the years I have had best time ever with so many funny memories. I’m constantly laughing on the track. I can’t think of one specific moment just because there are so many funny stories
WHAT ONE CHANGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AT DONORE HARRIERS? I’d like to see more athletes being coached in multi events
WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME (all sports)?
1. Katie Taylor
2. Sonia O’Sullivan
3. Michael Carruth
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST EVENT? I get the most points in high jump, hurdles and 800m. I think I am the best at high jump though. I’m more of a jumper than a sprinter
MULTI-EVENTS REQUIRES A HUGE COMMITMENT, WHAT SUPPORTS SHOULD BE IN PLACE TO HELP YOU REACH TO THE NEXT LEVEL? I definitely think a coach who can coach all events is essential. Going to different coaches for different events can lead to being overworked as there is not much communication. Having the facilities to train in each of the events is also crucial
HAVE YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH INJURIES, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE INJURY AND THE RECOVERY PROCESS? Yes, I was out for a year with Osgood Schlatter when I was 14. I had to completely rest it which was so hard for me because I wasn’t allowed to do any sport. Last year I had a tear in my Achilles, and I was out for a few months. I had to do calf raises over and over again, it was very repetitive, but I did it because I wanted to get better. Last year and early this year I had a stress fracture in my foot. I had a boot on for 6 weeks and then I had to just rest it for another few weeks afterwards
A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE SKIP OUT OF SPORT AFTER 2ND LEVEL EDUCATION, SO HOW DID YOU FIND THE TRANSITION BETWEEN SECONDARY SCHOOL AND 3RD LEVEL EDUCATION IN TERMS OF MOTIVATION, FACILITIES AND YOUR OWN TIME MANAGEMENT? It is hard to do it all but if you love something enough you don’t mind being busy all of the time. As soon as I come home from college, I have my dinner and go straight back out for training. I do my college work in the breaks between lectures and when I get some spare time. I’ve always seen athletics as my priority even though my education was very important
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EVENT? AND WHY? Running for Ireland in Glasgow was definitely my most memorable moment. It was something I have always wanted to do and when I finally put on the Irish vest, I never felt so proud of myself. Competing at an international level was so different to what I was used to. I felt like there was a lot more pressure on me which I found quite tough, but I’ve gained some experience from it.
WHAT IS YOUR BIG TARGET IN ATHLETICS? I just want to compete for Ireland again to be honest. I would love to travel to all over the world representing my country. I’ll continue to work hard and hopefully my goals will become a reality
