Athlone Triathlon Club member to represent Ireland
Aoife Mulry, a PhD student in TUS in Athlone, has qualified for both the European and the World Triathlon Championships 2024 as an Age Group athlete.
Aoife, originally from Galway, has been studying at TUS for the past eight years. She did her undergraduate degree in Veterinary Nursing and is now four years into studying for her PhD in microbiology.
She said that she has always been sporty, being involved in camogie, football, basketball, and horse-riding. Aoife has also been involved with the TUS Ladies GAA team for the last three years, and was part of the 2022 Lynch Cup winning team.
“I took up training for triathlons in 2022,” Aoife explained. “And I'm taking it even more seriously this year. I have a coach now, and really taking it to a new level.”
Aoife has been involved with Athlone Triathlon Club for three years now. Her coach is Gerald Lynch, of Fit For Tri, which is a “multi-sport coaching and mentor business” based in Athlone.
Gerald established Fit For Tri last winter as a coaching business after having been involved in Athlone Triathlon Club for a number of years.
“I've always enjoyed helping people become a slightly better version of themselves,” Gerald said. “I'm getting as much of a buzz out of it as the guys are.”
“I've always told my kids to do what they love and they'll never work a day in their lives, and I feel that about this.”
Gerald said that Aoife “reached out for support” earlier in this year, and has since gone from “strength to strength.”
“She's had to overcome a few niggles and is now seeing the fruits of her labour.”
In spring of this year Aoife competed at the Triathlon Ireland Duathlon Series, where she came second in her age group and achieved multiple podium finishes. Her first podium finish came at the Duathlon race in Naas in March, where she finished 3rd (Female). The Duathlon is a run, bike, run event, and Aoife competes in the 25-29 age group.
The European Triathlon Championships will be held in Vichy, France from September 21-22, and the World Championships will be in Malaga from October 17-20.
“My mother is going with me to Vichy,” Aoife said. “And then the whole family is going with me to Malaga for a family holiday too.”
Aoife is eager to secure local sponsorships for the two championships, as they will cost up to €2,000 each: “It would really help to make my dream a possibility.” She is appealing to businesses in Westmeath as well as her native Galway for support as she goes on to represent her country in the Autumn.