Liz O’Connor
Tell us about yourself
I am 38 and work as a firefighter with Dublin Fire Brigade where I have been working for the past 11 years. Before this I was an instructor in Westpark Fitness. I live in Templeogue with my husband Fearghal and our 2 kids, Cian who is 9 and Aoife who is 6. I grew up in Tallaght and went to school in Kilnamanagh and Walkinstown.
In college, I started studying science in Tallaght IT and moved on to holistic health studies & sports therapy. I completed my degree in rehabilitation studies in University of Wolverhampton. Then after joining Dublin Fire Brigade I went back to complete my Masters in Emergency Management at DCU.
What are you passionate about?
My number one priority is my family. I also like striving towards goals, setting challenges and achieving them. My current role with the club is Junior Development Officer, which combines these two passions and also allows me to get the kids more involved in triathlon.
What got you into triathlon, what was your first race?
I was working in Westpark Fitness where I met Alison Benson and Dave Adams. We heard about the Chicago Tri fundraiser for Crumlin Children’s Hospital and decided to give it a go. Between the 4 of us that went in 2002, we raised about €17,000 and a similar amount again when we went back the following year as part of the newly-formed Pulse TC.
First races were Skerries and Carrick-on-Suir sprint distances in 2002 which the group of us did as prep before going to Chicago.
As one of the founders of Pulse how do you think the club has come on in the past 13 years?
I think it’s absolutely fantastic how far the club has come. It has managed to grow to be one of the biggest in the country but still caters for all levels and is very inclusive, which can be seen from the member retention each year. Loads of people have said to me that they see Pulse represented at races all across the country and abroad – it’s great to hear that people are proud to be representing their club. The amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to keep the club running is unbelievable. The committee members do an amazing job and I don’t know where they find the time for it all.
Did you think that the club would grow to what it is today?
When Pulse started triathlon was quite a small and relatively unknown sport in Ireland. The popularity of tri has exploded in the past 10 years and the club has grown alongside it. To see the membership go from 4 of us sitting around my mam’s kitchen table to one of the biggest clubs in the country is great. I think that the ethos of the club, to be a friendly, inclusive environment, is part of the reason that we have grown steadily and continue to retain members each year.
What is your favourite and least favourite part of the race?
My least favourite is the wait before an open water swim start. No matter how many times I do this, the nerves kick in and getting into the water takes my breath away. My favourite is the cycle, I enjoy this the most but the run is also exciting, especially with the finish at the end.
Favourite memory in triathlon?
So much has happened over the years it’s hard to pick just one out. One of the favourites was going to Barcelona 2012. There was a good group from Pulse there and we came in 2nd place for ladies team along with Kim Hickey and Kathy Adams, the club previous chairperson. I also competed in the World Police & Fire Games triathlon in 2013 and came home with a bronze, which was a great moment. Podium moments in my tri career are few and far between but it was great to get the trophy and go out celebrating afterwards. My ethos in general is work hard, play hard which in a lot of ways ties into the Pulse mentality.
What is your favourite club session?
My shifts in work make it hard to get to a lot of club sessions and I end up doing the bulk of my training alone. The sessions that I like to get to when I can are the Thursday morning swim and the Wednesday track – this one is usually a real lung buster – and Kevin’s spin sessions and Joe’s strength and conditioning classes are excellent too.
Do you have any favourite tri gear / equipment or some gear you wish you had?
For Challenge Galway in a few weeks I have borrowed a pair of Zipp wheels for the race. I would like to have my own but they’re not in the budget at the moment. I am happy enough with the bike I have – it’s about 4 years old but it’s well tested and proven to be a good fit for me. I also feel proud to be cycling an Eddy Merckx bike!
Do you have any racing goals?
I did the double Olympic in Athy, which was a trial run before doing the full at Challenge Galway.
I did Belfast Titanic Triathlon in 2015 as part of the World Police & Fire Games and I would like to do this again this year if I can fit it in.
In October, I will also be going off to Tuscany with the Fire Brigade for a cycling holiday. We have done this trip a few times and it is always an enjoyable trip.
Do you have a favourite race or one you want to compete in?
I haven’t managed to do it for a few years but Kinsale sprint has always had happy memories for me, being one of the first triathlons I competed in. I also like Camlough/Crooked Lake as it always seems to have great weather and Kilkee of course, I have done this a good few times. There is a great buzz around the whole weekend with it being the club championship race.
Greatest achievement in or out of sport?
Greatest achievement is probably the year my daughter was born when I also got a 1st in my Masters and then ran a sub 4 hour marathon.
From a sporting perspective, it would probably be the 2nd place team finish in Barcelona and the Bronze in the World Police & Fire Games.
Where can we find you when you’re not training?
If I’m not working or training, I can usually be found spending time with my children.
What gives you inspiration / keeps you motivated?
I always strive to achieve the best that I can and in order to do that you need to put in the work. What I try to teach my kids is that whatever happens, if you have given it your best shot then there is nothing to be worried about.
Words of wisdom for first time athletes?
Remember that it should be something you do for fun, so enjoy it and don’t get too caught up in the training. As hard as a race may be, finishing is an amazing achievement in itself.
Do you have a sporting hero or hero in general?
I don’t have one single person that I would consider a hero but I have been watching the Road to Rio show on RTE and I think that all professional athletes work incredibly hard at what they do. For every athlete that makes it to Olympics, there are 10 that just missed the qualification. Swimming in particular is very tough, you can miss out on qualifying times by milliseconds.
Do you have a favourite book or movie? What do you like about them?
The Back to the Future series are my favourite movies.
My favourite book is is ‘Bounce’ by Matthew Syed, an interesting read about how champions are made and not born.
Do you have a favourite quote?
The two that I use when I’m in a race are “As the race gets longer, I get stronger” – I got this from a talk by a professional athlete when we were at the race in Chicago. It always works for me and I often chant it to keep myself going.
“I love the hills” – When you’re coming up to the hills, psychologically it kills you so I do this for the positive reinforcement!
If you could have dinner with 3 people alive or dead who would they be?
Michael Johnson – The sprinter. He held the record for the 200m/400m sprint. I like him as a TV personality as well.
Mary Berry – I do a little bit of baking and I like her no nonsense attitude.
Jessie Pavelka – The coach from ‘Obese – One year to save my life’ TV programme. He is also someone who has a no nonsense approach. If you don’t put in the work you can’t expect the results.
Also, my brother-in-law passed away in February so it would be really nice to be able to have dinner and chat with him again.
Do you have a guilty pleasure or a cheat meal?
I suppose chocolate would be my go to. I’m currently doing the high fat low carb thing at the moment in preparation for Challenge Galway so I’m only allowed the high coca chocolate but it’s not really the same. I would also be partial to a glass of wine or two.
Like I said I stick to the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality so when I have hit my goals, I look forward to the reward at the end.