Training the mind for Olympic battle

EARLY this morning, many of Ireland’s Olympic hopefuls gathered at the Tollymore National Outdoor Centre on the edge of the Mourne Mountains.

The venue was not chosen by accident. It is remote and private; mobile reception is intermittent, and there are few prying eyes in these parts to disturb the participants.

This will be a training camp with a difference, with the Olympic Council of Ireland’s Chef de Mission Sonia O’Sullivan admitting the objective is for everyone to “talk about things that sometimes don’t get talked about”.