Sonia O’Sullivan: ‘I’m always amazed that people recognise me’

Q&A

Who was your first coach and what influence did he have?

My very first coach was Pat O’Halloran. You think back to your first coach. You need change over time. It’s a bit like changing boyfriends and girlfriends. It’s never easy but you always remember your first coach. Your first coach is the one who gives you the love of the sport and makes you enjoy it from the very beginning. Running, it’s one of those things, it’s not easy, it’s tough.

In those early days did you dream that there would be an international career?

I didn’t back then. It was just about racing the next race and running with your friends. I didn’t really look beyond that. I never really thought much about the world championships or the Olympics until I was quite a bit older. When I won the junior All-Ireland cross country that was a huge stepping stone and then two weeks later to win the senior All-Ireland was an amazing experience. That was my famous interview with RTÉ and they asked me what I’d like to do next and I said “I’d like to go to the Olympics.”

What was the sweetness of that gold in Gothenburg like?

In 1993 I had the battle with the Chinese and then in 1994 I won my first senior championship (Europeans) in Helsinki. I lost only one race going into Gothenburg. I was very confident. It was a sense of relief more than anything else. I had everything but you can’t take it for granted that you’re going to win.

What does it mean to come home?

I’m always amazed that people recognise me on the street. I’m less fit than I used to be. Somehow I still stand out a little bit. Since I’m not competing I’m more willing to stop and talk. You kind of give off that vibe that you’re much more approachable. I love to hear all those great memories people had that I didn’t know about at the time.

The 1996 Olympics was a low moment of a career that wasn’t always on a straight line. What are your reflections?

Atlanta was definitely a blip on the radar. I always said my running career was a bit of a rollercoaster. It was very up and down. My coach Sean Kennedy said ‘the great athletes always come back from big disappointment.’ If it doesn’t work out it’s absolutely devastating at the time. You set yourself another goal, another target — it helps you to put things in perspective. It’s much easier to talk about it now. You can look back and appreciate the good days more than anything else.

Any tips for people who are starting running?

Set small goals and targets. It’s stepping stones. I will walk when I can’t run and walking is so slow. Try and walk 500m and jog 500m. It’s amazing the ground you cover when walking and running. It’s important to set targets whether it’s time or distance. You don’t always have to compare yourself to other people. Time is important because of the sense of satisfaction when you do improve.

What do you do when you’re not running?

I’m into all sorts of things. I love cooking. If I’ve to do the cooking, I’ve to do the shopping. I love to visit farms and see where the food comes from. When I was here last I went to a cooking school in Cavan for two full days. I like to be inspired by other people in their area of expertise and to get to talk to people like that.

There are a lot of challenges for young people. What advice do you have?

I think sport is such a healthy pastime for people to have. It is great if you can find a sport you enjoy doing that you can do with your friends. I was lucky that I had that when I was running. I used to go running no matter what the weather conditions were like. My mother would ask ‘you’re not going out there in that?’ I was going to go out no matter what. Even now when I come back I have to sneak out. If you have that hunger and drive for something that you really love doing then you’ll be successful.

What type of training did you do at your peak?

Twice a day everyday except Sunday. I did try to do three times a day at one stage. It wasn’t worth it. I generally would run 100 miles a week — more than I would drive at the time. The really important days were Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Tuesday was the big day at the track.

Were you mindful of recovery?

I think that’s something people focus more on now. That’s why you’ve seen the improvements. I wasn’t great at that. I was on the edge of being a professional athlete. Nowadays people are extra professional. I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much. I’m not someone who slept very much during the day. Sometimes I think I could have been better and other days I don’t. There was no internet then so we didn’t hang around.

Favourite race of all the races you’ve done?

The highest quality and best race I ever ran was 3000m in 1994 in the London Grand Prix and I ran 8.21. Everything went right apart from nearly not getting there. I was on the train by myself and I went the wrong way. I knew I was gone wrong and I sensed it wasn’t right. Thankfully I got there on time.

Gold in Gothenburg or silver in Sydney?

In a way it’s the same thing as there are the same people in there. But the Olympics comes around every four years. It is a little bit more difficult. The Olympic medal definitely stands above the other one. It was close enough to gold anyway (laughs).

Sonia O’Sullivan was speaking at Elvery’s in Arnotts ahead of this evening’s Sonia 5k in Dun Laoghaire. See www.sonia5k.ie