Keeping eyes on the stars but feet firmly on the ground

As she prepares for her third Olympics, the 20-kilometre walker tells Mark Roddenof her interests and inspirations outside athletics

I GREW UP in a place called Kilconieron, close to Loughrea in Galway. It would have been a rural part but the one thing they did have there was camogie and I played it from when I was eight to about 14.

It was more the lack of numbers and my ability to run the legs off anyone than my camogie skills that got me on the team. But then I went on to Loughrea, which was a real camogie nursery, so I was found out pretty quickly.

I'd watch team sports when Ireland are involved but you would know I'm an individual athlete. The first thing for me was the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. I used to be up at all hours of the morning watching the boxing, which was on from around five or 6am.

My mum's family were cyclists and when I was growing up Stephen Roche and Seán Kelly were very successful. It was an amazing time, and everything Roche put his hand to in 1987, he seemed to do well in.

I love sport in all its shapes and forms. When you're away training, it gives you a sense of being Irish when you're following the other sports, and we're always glued to the internet listening to matches.

I don't really watch television but sport is the one exception. It's probably just as well because my husband is an absolute sports fanatic and he got me into golf.

We were training in France last year when Pádraig Harrington won the British Open and my husband had the phone on loudspeaker at home because I was at altitude and couldn't get it on TV. Pádraig had been pushing away at things for some time and that he ultimately achieved it is very inspiring.

When I was training for Sydney, I remember watching Munster lose the Heineken Cup final to Northampton. They lost again in 2002 but two weeks before I had my daughter in 2006, I was sitting watching them win against Biarritz so I reckoned that was a good omen. They're an inspirational team and there's something very special about them.

I'd follow the other athletes to see how they're doing from a qualification point of view. I suppose you know what it takes to get there and you have to admire someone who's doing that. So when you're slogging your guts out, it lifts you to hear of someone doing well. There's more of a spring in your step when youre training the next day.

Like a lot of people I felt the Olympics were way out of reach but a good friend of mine, Deirdre Gallagher, went to the '96 Olympics. It was then I realised it could be achieved.

I was in the stadium when Sonia O'Sullivan won the silver medal at the Sydney Olympics and it was one of the best nights of athletics ever. It was an amazing night because there were 112,000 people there and Cathy Freeman won the 400 metres the same night.

Sonia was our first very successful female athlete so even though she wasn't a whole lot older than me you couldn't but admire what she achieved.

I can't say I had a female role model growing up but Sonia more than compensated for it. I was at my first major championships in Sydney and there she was winning a medal. It makes you realise it can be done.

There is a good team atmosphere in Irish athletics at the moment. We are very good together because we know what each other is going through. Athletics is an individual sport but we have a lot in common.

Even when I had my daughter, that was the year Derval O'Rourke won the World Indoors and her European silver and she was one of the first visitors to the hospital. I was just after having a Caesarean section and she was there giving me a book on how to get back training. She had my best interests at heart because within 10 days I was back training.

Sport gives you a sense of pride. It reflects well on the country and for younger kids it makes you realise anything is possible. Sport brings people together and success by other Irish athletes and Irish teams is very inspiring for us.