From Corrib currents to Tokyo’s Sea Forests From Galway’s Corrib currents to Tokyo’s challenging Sea Forest, Aifric Keogh navigates through waves and setbacks to reach the podium TEAM Aifric Keogh has been rowing for nearly two decades. To put a little perspective on that: Victoria Evans, the fastest solo female cross-Atlantic rower, took 40 days to take the record in 2022. Aifric then, could have crossed the ocean 182.5 times since taking up oars. Hearing her account of her journey, one could imagine her hopping into a skiff in Galway Harbour and rising to the challenge. The time commitment is very much a part of Keogh’s success. Like Monaghan triathlete Sean Husband, Keogh describes rowing as ‘an endurance sport’, and one that demands long- term devotion. In team rowing, competition starts with one’s teammates, as individuals race against each other to be awarded a seat on the final boat. Competitors become teammates, and then competitors again. The Galway native and Trinity graduate is showing every sign of hitting her stride, as are her habitual boatmates: a silver medal was the reward in April, for her and Fiona Murtagh in the women’s pair double in the World Cup in Italy. The equivalent men’s category saw bronze for Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch. Back in 2020, Aifric took home a bronze in Tokyo for the four-person race, the first-ever medal for Irish women’s rowing. She is now aiming for a seat in Paris – despite her evident pre-eminence, that’s not guaranteed. So what kind of rigor are we talking? ‘We train seven days a week, 18 or 19 times a week. Two to three times a day, sessions of three hours or maybe one in the gym for weights. Depending on the weather, first thing we’re out on the water, aiming for 24 or 30 kilometres.’ This is a description of where truly loving your calling will bring you. Burnout and wear and tear, injuries to ribs, back and hips are common; an injury last season kept her out of the water for eight months. When and how did the call begin? For Aifric, in Coláiste Iognáid, in Galway City: ‘We were one of the very few schools with a rowing club. Redmond O’Brien was the coach there, and that showed dedication, to be bringing these youngsters down to the Corrib with massive boats.’ Despite not having been sporty before, it clicked for Aifric. The supportive and committed teacher who travelled from his Limerick home every weekend to train them, the excitement of the boats and the water all lured her in. Yet at Leaving Cert time, she came close to quitting the time-devouring practice, as she saw friends embrace their social lives. The college, NUI Galway, was close to the water. She would persevere with college rowing – but seasonal training and competing in international rowing wasn’t on her radar yet. The obligatory move to Cork to engage with Rowing Ireland was a decision she delayed making. ‘I didn’t think I would be fast enough, to be honest.’ That would shift in 2013, after the 2012 London Olympics: Danish rowing guru Morten Esperson was appointed head of High-Performance rowing in Ireland, and began to talent search in earnest, casting about far and wide to get numbers, including Irish-Americans from US colleges. Aifric’s name was in the ascendant. ‘The international scene was a huge step up.’ Cork and Rowing Ireland got a new talent. High placings in European, World Championships and World Cups followed. The voyage to Tokyo in 2020 was made all the
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