Tri Talking Sport Joanne Murphy

Olympian David Gillick is the Irish 400m indoor and outdoor record holder and two-time 400m European Champion who has dedicated a huge portion of his life to his sport on the running track, representing club and country on the world stage. 
His sporting career as an elite athlete saw him make history when he won Ireland's first sprint Gold Medal in 76 years at the 2005 European Indoor Championships.  He retained that title in 2007 and in 2008 he fulfilled his dream of becoming an Olympian. The following year he competed at the Berlin World Championship finishing 6th in the 400m final, fulfilling another significant goal he had set himself in sport. His successful athletics career was speckled with some disappointment and injury along the way and, when you consider the minute margins between winning a race and not winning over 400m you can only imagine the intense pressure cooker within which athletes at this level perform. 
Wrapping up his career as an elite athlete in 2013, David moved from the bubble of his life as a full time athlete with all the structure, routine and training that his life involved, into the 'real world' and struggled to come to terms with his life beyond sport. He has openly shared his struggles with his mental health and the importance of getting back to sport for him and back to running, to what he really loves.  This October he will take on his second marathon at the Irish Life Dublin City Marathon. 
Winner of Celebrity Masterchef and one of three finalists in RTE's Ultimate Hell Week, the father of three is a two time best selling author who is passionate about sport, food, promoting a healthy body and mind and has become a vocal advocate on mental health. This chat with David is both insightful and enjoyable as he provides a glimpse into his life in the world of sports and beyond.

Shane Williams is a household name in sport worldwide, the former Welsh International rugby player is regarded as one of the greatest wingers and players of all time. With 87 caps for his country and multiple British and Irish Lions tour appearances, it is no wonder he is a World Rugby Hall of Fame Inductee and a winner of the World Rugby Player of the Year award. Embedded in sport for most of his life, when he retired from professional rugby in 2015 his love and passion for sport continued but took him in a very different direction. 
Taking part in his first marathon in 2015, it wasn't long before the Welshman became captivated with endurance sport, in particular, triathlon and more specifically with IRONMAN. Somewhat cajoled into taking on his first ever IRONMAN, he didn't have far to travel to take on his first full-distance race at IRONMAN Wales in Tenby, which he has gone on to complete five times, first hearing the words Shane Williams You are an IRONMAN, in 2015. 
It may come as a surprise to hear that on an IRONMAN Wales race morning, he is more nervous than lining up to play for Wales in the Principality Stadium. But, the goosebumps and passion he feels as he hears the Welsh National Anthem resound on North Beach in Tenby is one that fills him full of the same pride, excitement, and emotion he had as a professional rugby player and, when the gun goes he is more than ready, willing and able to race. 
A high achiever in sport and competitive by nature, he is as passionate today about triathlon as he was for rugby during his playing days.  Always looking to get the best out of himself and his performance in sport, life, and in business, triathlon has opened up a whole new world for Shane Williams, and in his own words says 'I'm hooked, it makes me feel so good'.

British triathlete Ben Goodfellow took up triathlon in 2017, since then he has gone from strength to strength in the sport. In 2022 he had an incredible year of success,  winning IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire outright, he was the overall age group winner at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea before being crowned the Mens 25-29 Age Group World Champion at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Utah last October. 
 
Stepping up to full distance racing at IRONMAN UK in Bolton last year he finished in 4th place on debut at the distance. This year he moves from age group athlete into the professional ranks aiming to debut as a professional athlete at IRONMAN 70.3 Staffordshire in June.  He will continue to work fulltime as an engineer for the foreseeable future whilst he also pursues his passion for sport. 
 
Prior to racing across the IRONMAN events in the UK last year, Ben had racked up a series of super results in recent years.  In 2021 he was the British Standard Distance Duathlon Champion, Helvellyn Triathlon Winner and Welsh Middle Distance Champion, his success coming on the back of his commitment and dedication to being the best athlete he can possibly be. 
 
Although he was sporty as a child, as he moved through his teens he left sport behind in favour of time in the virtual world and in his own words became  addicted to gaming.  Enjoying and embracing his gaming a little too much, it was in his final year of university that he ditched the virtual world for reality and has risen steadily in the sport of triathlon.
 
Coached by Nathan Forde as part of Team NFT, Ben's star continues to rise and I expect we will see a lot more success as Ben navigates through the world of professional sport.  Watch this space!
 

British Professional triathlete Indie Lee recently kickstarted her 2023 season with a podium finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote finishing in second place, securing her slot for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland later this year. 
 
No stranger to podiums or winning races, Indie is a three-time IRONMAN 70.3 Champion, taking the win in Weymouth in her first outing at middle distance racing in 2018, she went on to defend her title in 2019 after breaking the tape at IRONMAN 70.3 Finland earlier in the season. Since switching her focus from sprint and Olympic distance racing to middle distance racing she has found another gear that has seen her continue to excel as a professional triathlete. Racing her first IRONMAN in Israel last year she finished in sixth place which considering her short turnaround after the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Utah in October was an even more impressive result than at first glance. 
 
Indie has been immersed in sport from a young age with running most definitely on her radar, her early success in sport saw her move to the US on a college scholarship to pursue her passion for sport. It is triathlon that she has now found as her sport of choice, having raced successfully as an age group and elite athlete, the 2016 European Triathlon Champion has gone from strength to strength as she has journeyed through the sport of triathlon as a professional athlete.
 
This is a super chat with Indie who shares great insight into her career, her struggle at times with her own self belief and confidence all whilst embracing a career that she simply loves. Indie has an exciting future in sport ahead of her, watch this space as she continues to rise to achieve her goals in life and sport. 

Paddy McLaughlin of Podiumfit.ie has embraced a life in triathlon and sport as both his profession and his passion. Working in sport and fitness for over 20 years with a variety of qualifications, he is a Level 3 Coach, a physical therapist, Bikefit® and Gebiomized qualified Bike fitter and an athlete who has tackled some of the toughest triathlon races in the world. 
 
Not shy of taking on a challenging race he has completed multiple extreme events including  the Celtman on three occasions,  he finished with a black jersey in the Norseman and has also taken part in The Brutal Xtreme Triathlons. 
 
Paddy has completed over 20 full distance triathlons including multiple IRONMAN events, was the winner of the Irish Double IRONMAN in 2013 and as well as completing four marathons in four days around the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal, he took part in the first edition of The Race Around Ireland in 2009. 
 
Sport has been in his life from a young age from karate, kickboxing and rugby to triathlon, he is passionate about sport not only as an athlete himself but in supporting his coached athletes achieve their goals and potential, it is no surprise that he was Triathlon Ireland Coach of the Year in 2015. 
 
Shying away from the spotlight generally, he is not afraid of pushing himself outside of his comfort zone when it comes to participating in sport himself or setting lofty goals and challenges that push him physically and mentally all the way to the finish line. 

Tricia Strelioff from Canada has spent the last 20 years in Ireland embracing a life in sport.  A chartered physiotherapist working out of her practice, Maple Motion Chartered Physiotherapy in Galway, she has embraced many adventures over the years through her love of cycling and triathlon. 
 
With her appetite for a challenge and travel, she took up triathlon just before she turned 40 and has raced at five IRONMAN events and a multitude of middle distance races since then. She makes a conscious effort to rarely return to the same place for a race, always seeking new locations to explore and enjoy. She recently raced at IRONMAN 70.3 Oman, finishing third in her age group stamping her ticket to race at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Finland in August of this year. 
 
Triathlon and indeed cycling is a huge part of her life, the friends she has amassed over the years through sport becoming her tribe and a very important ingredient in her success in sport and beyond.  With her vibrant, energetic personality and can-do attitude you cannot but be motivated to keep moving forward, chasing and achieving goals when in Tricia's company. 
 
This is a great episode of the podcast, slightly different to many of our other episodes but the perfect guest choice to celebrate International Women's Day