OLIVE LOUGHNANE

60 seconds with Olive Loughnane

Name: Olive Loughnane.

Schools: Carrabane National School, St Raphael's College and St Brigid's Vocational School, Loughrea.

Sport: Athletics.

Other school sports: Camogie . . . played very poorly, I might add. St Raphael's was a real camogie nursery at the time so I quickly got found out when I started there. I could run all day; the only problem was I struggled to bring the ball with me.

Who got you started? There is a teacher in Carrabane National School called Mary Greany. She was great. She organised some challenge camogie games for us. We barely had enough girls to make a team. We got hockeyed. We played the matches after school. It was great for us because at the time we had no PE in school. We used to knit and sew while the boys played games. I took a stand one day and refused to go sewing. My mom was none too pleased with my act of defiance. When I took up athletics at 13, Mary Barrett was my coach in Loughrea athletic club. She has an amazing sporting background. She was a good track and field athlete herself. She is now the PE teacher in St Brigid's Vocational School and has introduced so many sports there. She encouraged us to do all the events and I found that I liked racewalking.

The best of days: There were four girls in my national school class. I struggled badly in junior and senior infants because I was pretty small. I remember my excitement on school sports day in first class when one of the other girls didn't make it to the sports. There were only three on the start line I was guaranteed a medal!!!

The worst of days: School sports again. Things had moved on. I was beginning to grow and I was favourite to take the fourth class title (in my mind anyway!). I tripped on the start line. After the shock subsided I tore off after everybody but only managed to pull the silver.

Most inspiring sporting memory: I loved watching all sport when I was a kid. I used to get up at all hours to watch the LA Olympics. I remember John Treacy's silver medal so well. Cycling was big in our house as mom's brother Brendan Madden cycled internationally. I always followed Seán Kelly and Stephen Roche. I can remember listening to Jimmy Magee's commentary the day Roche chased Delgado down.

I wished I was:Nadia Comaneci If I could turn back time: I would have done gymnastics and learnt to swim. They're such a good foundation for all sports. It's so much easier to develop your ABC (agility, balance, co-ordination) when you're a kid.

The value of school sport to you: The friends I made.

Most admired: I have to say Sonia (O'Sullivan). She did it all and stuck with it when the going got tough.

Not too keen on: Overpaid sportspeople who are more interested in the cheque than winning.

One sporting wish: To win a major medal.

Olive Loughnane finished seventh in the 20km walk at the Olympic Games in Beijing last August, knocking 93 seconds off her personal best in the process.