Heffernan’s long and winding road

Rob Heffernan’s eyes open wide — cartoon wide — when it is put to him that he might have missed out on the chance of representing Nemo Rangers over the years because of his all-consuming devotion to race-walking.

“Are you joking?” he gasps. “GAA versus going to the Olympics? Walking liberated me.”

The Cork athlete would never use the word ‘liberate’ to describe his parting of ways with four-time gold medallist and coach Robert Korzeniowski, who he describes as the biggest influence in his life, and yet he acknowledges the break-up has served him well.