Derval O’Rourke: Ireland’s Fittest Family was getting too hard, my kids weren’t going to be small forever

Olympian, entrepreneur, food columnist and go-getter Derval O’Rourke wants to get us all moving. Here, she tells Kate Demolder how she plans to do that.

Derval O'Rourke, at the launch of her Saol app. Photograph: Patrick Browne

You could draw a line from the 12.96 seconds sprint Derval O’Rourke achieved at the European Under-23 Athletics Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in 2003––a mark which saw her achieve the exact 'A standard' qualification time for the 2004 Olympics––to today, where she sits at home in Cork, following the launch of her wellness app aimed at SMEs and individuals, Saol. 

In many ways, the line is straight; O’Rourke not only changed the paradigm for women athletes but also the marketplace for women of all kinds, those dealing with childcare as well as those dealing with business. It would be a mistake, though, to think that O’Rourke was solely focused on promoting opportunities for women.