Industry Review: Supporting Elite Athletes

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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Emmet Oliver (0:13)

Now, yes, it is our Industry Review. As you know, we have a whole department, a whole section, a whole part of the business here talking about sports, and we leave that up to them. But what about the business and people behind sport who get the athletes to the sort of starting gate in the first place? What about nutrition? What about their mindset? What about preventing injuries? And what happens if they don't get to a peak performance level? Or how do you get them there in the first place? That's what we're discussing in this industry review, keeping athletes and sports people at their peak. And the team of specialists who work in that area, feel free, the text is in on 0871400106, because lots of you, I know, want to get into this industry because you watch sport or you're good at sport and you want to get into it. But there's a lot involved and it's a long road to be picked by the specialist athletes in the first place. So, we're here to discuss all of this is Laura Mahony who's a sports dietitian and performance nutritionist at the Sport Ireland Institute. I have Kelley Fay who's of KF Performance Psychology and I have Dr. Fearghal Kerin who is a consultant physiotherapist with Kerin Performance. So, I'm surrounded by a dietitian, a psychologist and a consultant physiotherapist, okay? So, it's going to be a challenging few minutes. Okay, let's start. Laura, first of all, lots of people want to get into this industry. It's not glamorous, but people think it's interesting because they watch sport. Okay?

Is that an initial spark of interest? Is that enough of the fact that you watch sport? Does that start the journey as far as you're concerned?

Laura Mahony (1:36)

Yeah. Well, I suppose when I was in school, I loved sport and I loved science. They were the two things that I really loved. So, I actually went on and I did sports science, didn't really know what area of sports science I'd like to specialize in. But then it was always the nutrition area that I was drawn to.

So, I went on to study dietetics, then went on to do masters in sports nutrition. And I suppose I'm lucky. I've been working clinically with sick people, but then also with really fit, healthy people who want to perform at their best. So, I get to do what I love. I love sport and I love food, nutrition. I love trying to keep people fit and well and healthy and to be able to perform at their best. So, having the interest is a really good starting point.

Emmet Oliver (2:22)

And in your area, do you see food and diet as what can separate you out from a competitor athlete? Is that the difference make?

Absolutely.

Laura Mahony (2:30)

That's where you're coming from. Yeah. So, I suppose food and nutrition.

Emmet Oliver (2:33)

It's not just a functional thing.

Laura Mahony (2:34)

No, but like it feeds into everything. So, it feeds into whether you're able to do the amount of training and it feeds into whether you're able to adapt. It feeds into sleep, recovery, everything, which like the physio or the coach that they want the athlete to be able to train, I suppose nutrition sustains that or allows that.

Emmet Oliver (2:55)

Now, Fearghal, was the whole journey for you about an interest in sport or do you come more from the science of it?

Fearghal Kerin (3:01)

Yeah, no, it's the interest in sport for me personally. Like I think if you're going to work in physiotherapy or any of the fields surrounding sport, you're making similar sacrifices to what the athlete makes. So, there is an expectation that you will be on the sideline on a Saturday or Sunday morning or late at trainings on a Tuesday and Thursday and taking texts and phone calls from head coaches and so on. So, it is a very full time sacrificial kind of thing you've got to do. So, you do have to have that base love for it. You will find most people in the industry are people who started off as players themselves but didn't quite make it and then see actually the level.

Emmet Oliver (3:36)

Now, I don't want to make you have a big head here, but you have worked with some serious athletes and some of them would be known to our audience. World Cup winner Enzo Fernandes who moved, of course, from Chelsea to Man City a few weeks ago actually. Rhys James, you talked to the British and Irish lines. So, people will be saying, oh, that's intriguing. How did you get into that sort of level of athlete, real elite of the elite?