Gillian ‘walked’ every yard

As Rob Heffernan conquered the streets of Moscow yesterday, Gillian O’Sullivan was pacing around the sitting room of her Ballincollig home.

O’Sullivan, who won silver in the 2003 World Championships in Paris, was almost walking every step with her old friend around the Russia capital.

The Killarney native was acutely aware that the decisive break was going to arrive between the 32km and 40km marks, and so when Russia’s Mikhail Ryzhov opened up a slight advantage at 35km, O’Sullivan’s heart sank.

She had been in that very position in Paris in 2003, cut adrift from Russia’s Yelena Nikolayeva and knew the situation facing the Togher native.

“To be fair, Rob looked very composed compared to the other Russian. Even facially you could see the difference. Rob looked very calm and confident. You could see his self-belief.

“Regardless, from 40km I could hardly watch. It is much different than actually being out there competing. You’d be watching the clock and saying to yourself ‘another five or ten minutes now and it will be nearly over’.”

O’Sullivan was second into the Stade de France a decade ago and Heffernan’s entrance into the Luzhniki Stadium brought the memories flooding back.

“It is great to be able to savour that last lap and a half. “It is just knowing going into the tunnel that you are going to be on the podium, it makes all the hard work, all the blood, sweat and tears worth while.

“It is the best day of your life.

“I had all my family over there, we were all able to enjoy it, because it is a tough road. It is lonely out there, it is only your friends and family that know the real story behind what we go through.”

O’Sullivan was conscious of the importance of this race in the Cork man’s career.

“If he hadn’t done well this year, that would have been it.”

“This was the crucial year. When I rang my parents after the race, I said, ‘he never needs to do anything else, he has his gold medal.’ He’s after joining a very elite club.”

O’Sullivan believes the disappointment of missing out on the podium 12 months ago ‘defined’ her friend.

The pair had met-up when Rob returned from the Olympics and even discussed it again when they met on the Lee road last winter. Both were out for a brisk walk, but there was still time for a quick natter.

“The way he came back from London defined him. He could have gone downhill and just about held in there and not have done justice to himself or he was going to use London as a motivational tool, ‘I’m nearly there now let’s give this one more bash.’ I was quietly confident that he might get the gold.

O’Sullivan texted the newly crowned World Champion immediately after the race.

No words of congratulations were offered, rather the imparting of a nugget of advice.

“Enjoy this,” she wrote.

“The acclaim is fleeting. I really hope he does enjoy it and I do hope he stays going and tries for further success.

“That is what I was hoping for in 2003, but it just didn’t work out so you need to savour the day when everything does go right and you end up on the podium.”

Heffernan’s medal was Ireland’s first on the world stage since Olive Loughnane placed second in 2009, preceded by O’Sullivan’s silver six years earlier.

In short, events such as yesterday are few and far between.

“People don’t realise how special this achievement is. As a small nation, we cannot compete with the other big countries.

“It is just very special and we shouldn’t underestimate them.”

O’Sullivan, who runs a health and fitness club, isn’t expecting a reply to her text until later in the week, but is keen to meet up with Rob at some juncture.

When she gave birth to her son two years ago, Heffernan was one of the first visitors to the hospital.

“I am going to try to have to get a photograph of my son with Rob and the medal.”

That shouldn’t be a problem between two old friends.