The struggle and spirit of Irish sprinters: ‘The lads are living off absolute scraps’

Gerard O’Donnell, a high performance athletics coach, specialising in sprints and hurdles, is helping the country's sprint talent achieve their potential. 

ON YOUR MARKS: Ireland’s Sophie Becker. Pic: INPHO/Tocko Mackic

For Sophie Becker, the choice was straightforward. It was up to Gerard O’Donnell as her coach to spell it out: Go to Bali or invest in your sporting future. Spikes over sunsets.

The Leitrim native knows what it is like to have next to nothing. He spent his first few years training in Dublin on social welfare and flat broke. His Carrick-on-Shannon childhood initially consisted of running on the road. Stick that athletics club into Google Maps and nothing appears. They have no home.