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<\/a><\/p>\nHow often do you cycle?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMostly at the weekends. I get a half-day in school on a Friday so I\u2019m straight onto the bike once I\u2019m home. I\u2019ll also cycle on Saturday and Sunday. I\u2019m trying to squeeze a couple of sessions in during the week too when I can, to get in some extra exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n How did you first get into cycling?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIn about 2014 I saw my sister Sarah\u2019s old bike hanging up outside and said I wanted to give it a try! My Dad brought me out to the track that summer. He was with Bray Wheelers, so I naturally joined them. They\u2019re such a supportive team, so I couldn\u2019t have picked a better place to start.<\/p>\n Dad was always doing triathlons, always cycling \u2013 as were my uncles and aunts. Everyone in the family has dabbled \u2013 they\u2019re all very sporty. I preferred the cycling aspect though. We\u2019ve always been a pretty outdoorsy family. Dad was always into fishing so we\u2019d all be at the beach a lot, either fishing or kayaking and we\u2019d go for hikes sometimes too.<\/p>\n There are so many people within cycling who\u2019ve encouraged me so much, though. Genevieve who organises the camps to Holland really helped spark my interest. We\u2019d head over to Holland to the indoor velodrome in for the weekend. It was so cool!\u201d<\/p>\n Are you still with Bray Wheelers or part of another club?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI loved Bray Wheelers but actually moved to Orwell to be with my friends. I properly got into cycling with the Orwell team. I had my first race with them \u2013 and in 2017, we competed in the Nationals. I was bopping around between clubs for a bit trying to find one that suited me best, and at the track one day, my current coach, Brendan Whelan, approached me and asked me to join the Arcane team. I love being a part of a club. It\u2019s great racing as a team and feeling like you\u2019re part of the family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Are there many other girls your age there?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThere actually are a good few young girls at the club, including my two best friends! I think the number of girls my age is growing but that can change from year to year. There are very few girls compared to boys though.\u201d<\/p>\n Do you think cycling is promoted enough in Ireland \u2013 especially as a sport for women?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe Women\u2019s Commission is fantastic for promoting women\u2019s cycling and I think they\u2019re doing an amazing job. My coach Brendan is actually part of it. They run lots of events and they put teams into races. Two years ago, I went to Kerry to the day camp organised by The Women\u2019s Commission and it was fantastic! They also run the Corkagh Park Summer League where beginners can race on closed roads. It\u2019s a nicer and easier way to get into it and it\u2019s how I started racing too.\u201d<\/p>\n What sort of training do you do?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cA mixture \u2013 although I\u2019m better on the track. We train a lot on the track in the summer months when it\u2019s dry and during the winter, we\u2019d mostly train on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n So, what\u2019s your favourite cycling route in your area? <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI really love the cycle out to Howth \u2013 the cycle path and the views. It\u2019s not the best for training because there are all sorts of people on the track, but it\u2019s such a great infrastructure to have in the city. I also love the Sally Gap. It\u2019s deadly to get up the mountains. The scenery is phenomenal and it\u2019s so gorgeous past Enniskerry.\u201d<\/p>\n What about in Ireland?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been around the country to lots of different places for racing, but I think Kerry is my favourite. It\u2019s such a fab county. You can go anywhere on your bike \u2013 it\u2019s almost like you\u2019re walking but you can go further and still see everything.<\/p>\n I really love Dingle, though. When I went to Kerry with the Women\u2019s Commission the first time, my Dad came too and we stayed overnight and cycled all around Dingle the next day. Last time I went, I stayed with my friends who live there and we did loads of cycling. Conor Pass is so cool on a bike!\u201d<\/p>\n Can you tell us about your first race and your proudest moments since?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI can’t really remember my first race \u2013 I probably did dreadfully and got dropped from the bunch. The track is where I\u2019m better. I came in third in the Scratch Race in Junior Nationals last year and one of my favourite races is team pursuit. We came second in the Senior Nationals in that one this year. I\u2019ve been racing in the Leinsters for the last few years too. I also competed in the Tour of Omagh three day stage race this year and last year which was great.<\/p>\n What I\u2019m most excited about is my upcoming race in Manchester with the Women\u2019s Commission. I went last year too. We do an omnium on the indoor velodrome, so it\u2019s very different to racing outdoor. I think that\u2019s one of my proudest moments. It\u2019s really cool to mix with the girls and women who are there cycling all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Is professional cycling something you\u2019d ever consider?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely! When I watch it on the TV, I think I\u2019d love to do it! It\u2019s definitely something I\u2019m dreaming about but, I want to see how the Leaving Cert goes before I commit to anything.\u201d<\/p>\n So, what do you enjoy most about cycling?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe freedom of it \u2013 you can go anywhere! I love going to the track and meeting everyone too. It\u2019s great being part of a team. Everyone helps and there\u2019s a real community feel. I love that my team have a really strong women\u2019s presence too. It\u2019s a really different and unique sport in Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Want to read more about the wonderful women cycling in Ireland? Check out our interview with Lisa Thake of Fat Girl Fit right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n