partnership with the Sport Ireland Institute and Cycle Ireland. Sean’s PhD focuses on ‘position optimisation in cycling’. Here, the mechanical engineering background of Professor Simms comes together with Sean’s performance analysis mindset. After testing riders in a wind tunnel for instance, Husband and Simms will use the data to seek to optimise ‘aerodynamics, biomechanics and physiology’ for competitors, while reducing injury risk. The different perspectives brought by the pair make a powerful combination. In the cycling context, what is an example of physiological expertise that Sean brings to the research? He cites ‘aggressive positions’: ‘For example, when your head is right down, you become more aerodynamic as a result, but your breathing is restricted. You’ve rolled yourself forward and your ribcage can’t expand as much. That affects oxygen delivery which in turn affects the power you can apply to the bike. We’re trying to find the optimum trade-off, with a net gain. In the wind tunnel, we’re able to quantify how many watts you’ve saved by adopting a new position.’ Sean’s fixation on high performance and the limits of human ability has continued to build and now applies to each of his overlapping roles: rising Irish triathlete, PhD candidate, and sighted guide to blind Paralympian Donnacha McCarthy, with whom Sean is preparing to compete for a place in Paris 2024. For Cork-born Donnacha, who lost his sight at a young age after a double onslaught of leukaemia, a guide like Sean is essential to lead the way. Para-triathlon works the remarkable feat of turning a very solo sport into an intimate team effort: in swimming and running the pair are united by a tether, and in cycling the two are united on a tandem bike. What is involved in their Paralympic preparations? Donnacha McCarthy is classified as B1, for fully blind, and he and Sean will compete against B2s and B3s; unusually for the Paralympics, all will be competing for the same medals. Adding to the workload, Sean also performs as a coach for their bid. The tandem bike, which is made bespoke, is an interesting feature: ‘It’s a very long bike and we tackle some technically demanding courses. That requires communication. As we tackle corners, he must lean with me.’ Another area of note, Sean explains is the ‘transitions,’ ie moving from swim to bike, removing wetsuits at speed and managing the hand tether. All of it needs a constant stream of communication – and for Sean, a slightly higher level of fitness, as he must be able to remain comfortably ahead of Donnacha to act as a guide. Donnacha is not a novice to the entrance process, having narrowly missed out on a slot for Tokyo in 2020. The duo recently finished 4th in Turkey for the World Cup and 3rd in Uzbeckistan, with the deadline for Paris drawing ever closer. ‘It really runs down to the wire,’ explains Sean, ‘unlike many Olympic and Paralympic sports where their slots are already decided well in advance. A window has been open since last July and closes on 1 July of this year. The best of three race results over the 12 months of racing (which have involved up to 15 races) will be scored to asses who is ranked in the top nine. The Trinity Trust travel grant has been a great aid to our final race block aiding us in traveling to more races and improving our ranking points opportunity.’ Reaching his own potential and helping others to reach theirs are priorities that are now fully intertwined. As Sean moves forward with a unique scholarship programme, answerable to multiple institutions at once, all while clocking the hours for extracurricular competitions, micro-management of time forms a significant part of necessary strategising. He confirms that as a challenge: even when travelling epic distances to compete with Donnacha, meetings must be scheduled across unfamiliar time zones, and research tasks must be completed, whether on the road or long-haul flights. All the more amazing then, to learn that he still manages to grab spare moments to cycle the roads with his father, on rare forays back home to Monaghan.
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