'It never felt like a challenge. It felt like an opportunity' - Derval O'Rourke on the mindset that made her

"Sitting in an RTÉ studio all those years since, you realise how special medals are. I’m really grateful for every medal I have."

TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY: Hall of Fame Award recipient Derval O'Rourke during the 123.ie National Athletics Awards ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

There’s an affliction most elite athletes deal with after retirement – a valley of darkness that must be walked through as they curse the what-might-have-beens, focusing on everything their career wasn’t. It could take months, even years, but on the other side of that journey lies appreciation – the ability to step back and admire all it was.

It’s 11 years since Derval O’Rourke hung up her spikes, and during that time there’s been a seismic shift in how she reflects on her career.