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.

Tri Talking Sport

Shauna Bocquet and Pauline Murray: A Life of Opportunity Through Sport

Heather Foley has competed at an international level in both triathlon and cycling, representing Northern Ireland in triathlon at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and in cycling in 2010 on the track and on the road.

Heather Foley: Guts, Grit, Determination and Love of 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.

Cath Pendleton: Merthyr Mermaid Breaking the Ice

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.

Gavin Noble Olympian: The Joy of Success in Elite Sport

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.

Daire Feeley: The Highs and Lows of Life on The Road

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.

Joe Skipper Professional Triathlete: Far From An Average Joe

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.

Annah Watkinson Professional Triathlete: Discipline, Dedication & Determination

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 talented athlete she embarked on a sporting journey as runner and a earned string of successes and wins to her name at a local, national and international level.

Emma Pallant Professional Triathlete: Performance, Perspective and Positivity

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.

Gerry Duffy: The Gift of Running

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.

Michelle Heneghan Professional Triathlete: Claremorris to Canada Enjoying the TriLife

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.

Nikki Bradley: Adaptive Adventurer Scaling Heights In A Life With No Limits

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.

Tiffiny Quinn: Savouring the Magic of Ice Swimming

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.

June McMinn and Gerard Turbitt: Triathletes, Growing Older Whilst Savouring Success in Sport

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.

Mark Allen: Legend of Triathlon

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.

Rachel Nolan: Embracing A Life of Adventure

Tri Talking Sport, the podium podcast for Athletes, Adventurers and Endurance Enthusiasts presented by Joanne Murphy.

Shauna Bocquet and Pauline Murray: A Life of Opportunity Thr...