Temple Carrig Teacher Makes Euro & World Duathlons

emple Carrig teacher Eoin Bailey has just qualified for both the European and World Sprint Duathlon Championships.

Which, in case you were wondering, is pretty darn impressive.

And all the more impressive given that Eoin was involved in an accident back in 2019 whilst training with his local Carolow Cycling Club.

“The plan before the accident was to take on a duathlon,” says Eoin. “And then, once I had gotten over the break in my leg and my wrist and undergone two knee operations, Covid hit. So, let’s just say it’s been a long, long road to here…”

Long roads are something Eoin will be training for as he gets ready to compete in the European Sprint Duathlon Championships in Romania this July and then, two months later, to Amsterdam for the World championships.

With a sprint duathlon involving a 5k run, a 20k cycle and then a 3k run, Eoin has been training 6 days a week, allowing himself the luxury of Mondays on the couch. “Sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation and energy to train, having spent 3 hours travelling to and from Temple Carrig and then teaching all day, but the school has been great in accommodating me.

“They’re also helping me get over the shock of qualifying for both of these championships, despite the fact that I haven’t competed in never mind won any qualifying duathlons,” laughs Eoin. “I take refuge in concentrating solely on the training – something the great Marten Mizgajski has been guiding me through before he heads off to the Paralympics, where he will be the lead pilot for the visually-impaired athletes.”

With the uncertainty of Covid seeing Eoin and his fellow international competitors being advised to only book flights that are refundable for the July and September championships, the events now have an extra layer or two of anxiety beyond the competitions.

“To counter that, I’m just concentrating on the training,” finishes Eoin. “I’m living in that montage segment of the movie, where my daily routines help keep me focused. And sane…”