Watch- Seconds Out Stories of Irish Boxing – High Performance on the Road to Paris
“We would love to qualify the biggest team ever to represent Ireland – and we believe that is achievable”; so says High Performance Director, Tricia Heberle, on the eve of the 1st Olympic World Qualifier.
5 Irish boxers have already qualified for Paris – reigning lightweight Olympic champ, Kellie Harrington, Tokyo Olympians Belfast’s Michaela Walsh (57kg) and Roscommon’s Aoife O’Rourke (75kg); 63.5kg Dean Clancy (Sligo), and Dublin’s Jack Marley, the first Irish heavyweight in 30 years to medal at a Category A event. 8 Irish boxers will vie to do likewise at the 1st of two Olympic World Qualifiers.
This short film, a peek inside High Performance, is part of a series of shorts on Irish Boxing – Seconds Out: Stories of Irish Boxing, commissioned by IABA and produced by Lowki Culture. It features a revealing inside look at HP, with Director & Olympian Tricia Heberle, Head Coach Zauri Antia, Coach Damian Kennedy and now double Olympian, Michaela Walsh.
Michaela says “High Performance, outside of the ring, has helped me massively. For me, High Performance is doing the small things right. It’s now always about training or performing, it’s doing the little things right”
High Performance on the Road to Paris delves in to performance analysis, coaching philosophy, technical & tactical development, High Performance culture, the daily training environment and preparations for Paris 2024.
Head Coach, Zauri Antia says “There are many factors there (in success). The best thing is culture. Culture comes from many things, from traditions, from home, from community. Culture is behaviour…Life is about a battle between positive and negative. And I know, only in positive state of mental strength, you can perform best”
High Performance Coach, Damian Kennedy says “We’ve always had a massive fighting spirit, and with the technical tactical aspect that we’ve brought to it, I think we’re on the right track to becoming the world’s number 1 boxing nation.”
1st Olympic World Qualifier Team:
50kg Daina Moorehouse, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow
54kg Jennifer Lehane, DCU Boxing Club, Dublin
66kg Grainne Walsh, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin
51kg Sean Mari, Monkstown BC, Dublin
57kg Jude Gallagher, Two Castles ABC, Tyrone
71kg Aidan Walsh, Holy Family GG BC, Belfast
80kg Kelyn Cassidy, Saviours Crystal, Waterford
92+kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin BC, Dublin
