Healy loving life in the fast lane

Phil Healy is an athlete in a hurry.

At 19, the sprint sensation is the youngest Irish competitor at the European Track and Field Championships in Zurich next week.

The Bandon athlete has been a rebel without a pause since winning the All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships over 100m (11.83) and 200m (23.98) in record times and finishing an impressive fourth at the European Junior Championships over 100m in Rieti, Italy last summer.

Since then Healy has made changes to move seamlessly into the senior ranks. She has moved from school (Coláiste na Toirbhirte, Bandon) to college life in UCC (studying nursing) and also changed from her club coach, Liz Cooney, to Shane McCormack of Menapians to great effect.

“I’ve put a great year of training behind me with my new coach and managed to stay injury-free,” said Healy, who narrowly missed out on running over 60m at the world indoors earlier in the year.

Speaking during the indoor season she said: “I’m looking to make the break from the junior to the senior ranks and run the 100m at the European Championships this summer. The B standard is 11.60 and my PB is 11.63. I’ve knocked a big chunk off my 60m (7.58 to 7.36) this season so hopefully I can do the same in the 100m as well.”

She certainly has made that break. At the GloHealth National Championships on July 20th she dead-heated with Amy Foster in 11.49 seconds – one of the races of the championships.

“I was thrilled to get the title, even though we couldn’t be separated in the end,” said the Bandon athlete who has been in training since and on the wards in Cork University Hospital on an eight-week work placement.

“I’ve been back in training and had a few things to work on,” said Healy who believes her placement has been a positive.

“It’s been good ahead of the championships. It keeps me distracted and stops me from overthinking and sitting around the house. It’s the best thing.

“I’m excited to race in Zurich. Considering the European juniors last year was my first major championships, to make a European senior team at 19 went beyond my expectations for this year. I am going out to Zurich to get the experience for future major championships but obviously also to run well. I am there to compete to the best of my ability like any other athlete. I would love to further lower my PB and to progress from the heats to the semis.

“It’s surreal to think this time last year I was just back from the European junior championships.”

Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands will be the favourite for the 100m and 200m, topping the European rankings in both with her national records of 11.03 and 22.34 set this season.

Healy can realistically target the national record of 11.40, jointly held by Leevale’s Ailís McSweeney and Amy Foster (City of Lisburn), at the championships which would guarantee a spot in the next round.

Healy started sprinting at aged 10 but it wasn’t until the U18 age category that she took it seriously, playing camogie and football with her local club, St Oliver Plunkett’s, until three years ago.

Her passage into athletics was following her older sister Joan who showcased her speed at the Community Games before joining Bandon and competing internationally underage. Her father Gerry and mother Phil have been hugely supported as their daughter progressed through the ranks and is now on the cusp of showcasing her talents on the senior international stage.

‘The loneliness of the long distance runner’ is a term not normally associated with a sprinter but Healy does much of her training alone on the Sonia O’Sullivan track at the Mardyke. Training alone is not an issue for her though: “It’s just as easy to do it on your own. It can be difficult trying to organise training times that suit with others.”

Of greater importance is her coach, Shane McCormack of Menapians, in Wexford who has brought things to another level this season. “The intensity and the volume of training increased and we tweaked the start a bit,” said Healy. “Training has just become a lot more structured and there has been a lot more gym work.”

The UCC high performance scholarship recipient is also part of the women’s 4x100m squad including Kelly Proper (Ferrybank), Amy Foster, Sarah Lavin (UCD), Catherine McManus (Celtic DCH) and Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank). The team, currently ranked 13th with 44.45, were training in Santry yesterday and the starting quartet looks like being Foster to start, passing from Proper to Lavin with Healy on the anchor.

“It’s about slick changes and getting the baton around as quickly as possible,” said Healy. The national record is 43.92 so hopefully that will go.”

Once the championships are over Healy will be straight back into work with a return to the lecture halls in mid-September. And then it will be another build-up to the European Indoors and the European U23s.

First up, however, is Tuesday morning at 10:40am where Healy will continue her ascent in European sprinting with everything to gain.

“I just want to get out there and race. I’d love to get out of the heats. 11.54 has qualified. Everything will be a bonus having come into the season with a PB of 11.63.”

11 seconds down the newly surfaced Konica track will reveal what bonus that will be — her peak still far from its apex.