Age: 29
Club: Mullinavat
Position: Midfield/Forward
Occupation: Secondary School Teacher
Honours:
One Senior All-Ireland Medal, two Senior League Medals, one Senior Leinster Medal
One Leinster Senior Club Medal, three Senior Club Championship medals, three Club Senior League medals, 3 U21 A medals, 3 U18 A medals
What age did you start playing camogie: About 9 or 10
How many years are you on County Panel? 2 years
How do you keep yourself motivated? I take great enjoyment out of being around dedicated and talented groups of people, that includes the camogie teams that I am fortunate enough to be part of at both club and county levels. The collective efforts to continuously pursue and achieve success is a really rewarding aspect of playing camogie. Exercise has always been a big part of my life and through playing camogie, it enables me to remain fit and healthy
What is your pet hate? When people stand on both sides of an escalator not leaving enough room for people to walk pass
Have you ever had a serious injury? No major serious injuries. Few ankle injuries/sprains and strains over the years
Apart from Camogie, what sports people do you look to for inspiration?
Roger Federer: Apart from being a world-class tennis player, he appears to be a humble, gracious and positive individual, both on and off the court. At almost 36 years old, he remains so passionate about his sport and it is testament to his success that he now holds a record eight Wimbledon titles
Henry Shefflin: Henry brought a very professional attitude to the game and consistently achieved success for every team that he played for. He was a huge role model for me growing up, and has given me so many happy memories, particularly at Croke Park on the first Sunday of September
What has been your best sporting moment? Captaining my club Mullinavat to Senior Camogie Club Championship success in 2015. It’s an honour to represent your club as team captain. Also a notable moment in my sporting career was being part of the 2016 All Ireland winning Kilkenny team
What are your hobbies? Camogie, going to sporting events whether it be camogie, hurling, rugby etc… I also have a great interest in going to the gym, going to concerts when I can and cooking
Who has been the biggest influence on your career? My dad Tommy has been a major influence on my career. I was known as his shadow when growing up. There wasn’t a match where I wasn’t by his side. I still today attend the majority of games with him
Another major influence was my first camogie trainer John Joe Aylward. He most definitely put the fun in the game of camogie which I believe is the most fundamental part of playing any sport
What does it mean to wear the county jersey? The opportunity to wear the county jersey is a real honour, especially as Kilkenny is a place where camogie and hurling is engrained in its cultural heritage and tradition
Advice to young players? To achieve success in anything, you have to be committed and be prepared to work hard. That means putting in extra hours in training and being disciplined. Most importantly, it’s about enjoying the sport and working as a team to maximise its potential to succeed
By kristinagunn Thu 20th Jul
