The Journey And Those Who Made It Happen!

It was with absolute delight I received the news that Damien Vereker had been selected for the Irish National Paralympic Squad for the Rio Para Olympic Games 2016.

Damien Vereker
Damien Vereker

The Road to Rio began in 2013 when I was approached by Tommy Fanning of Comeragh Cycling Club wanting to know if I would help pilot Damien for 1 or 2 races on the tandem.  A trial spin to see how we would get on led to a 16km TT the next day in Blarney.  It was a great experience, something we both really enjoyed and so that is where it all began.

I started coaching Damien with no real plan; it was basically just to see where we would go with it. I received a lot of help from Ronan Clinton, and the Focus on Fitness crew; taking Damien out on the bike, collecting him for spinning classes / turbo training and helping with him in the gym on the watt bike. From here things started to progress.

In 2013 Damien was awarded the most improved rider in the Invacare league. 2014 we won the Invacare league and in 2015 we were runners up. We started to compete at international races and with some fund raising it allowed us to upgrade the bike and we progressed on some more.

Most Improved Rider
Most Improved Rider 2013

A big thank you to the many people and organisations that helped along the way.

Sinéad Power, Comeragh CC and all the pilots from the club.

Caulfield’s Supervalu,

Clinton Flynn,

John Nolan and Macushield

Everyone who helped out with the fund raising events that were organised over the last 3 years including the Spinathon in City Square followed by a night in the Mansion House.

Jim O’Brien, Brian Jacob, Eoin Lyons, David Connolly, John Maher, Siobhan Kennedy, Brian O’Sullivan and Ronan Clinton who completed a Tandem cycle from Malin Head to Waterford in just over 12 hours in sub-zero temperatures late December 2015.

Copy of 1300px × 477px – Untitled Design (1)

Malin To Waterford, December 2015

To all who took part in the Human Race Night earlier this year and Kilcohan Greyhound Stadium for facilitating the night.

Copy of 1300px × 477px – Untitled Design

Human Race Night fundraiser at Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium 2016

Thank you to everyone who gave spot prizes, sold tickets, and supported the events; you all had a hand in this great achievement.

but not least Marcin Mizgajski without him this would not have been a reality and we are forever grateful.  Marcin took the reins 12 months ago to pilot the bike and finish off a job that was beyond what I could do and what a job he did.  Damien & Marcin went to a C1 event in Bilbao and finished first Irish bike, Prague a few weeks later and got 3rd overall. Marcin’s dedication, cycling ability and attention to detail was second to none.

We were lucky enough to be able to upgrade the bike with help from a truly great and inspirational person; you know who you are, from the bottom of our hearts thank you so very much.

The UCI World Cup was held in South Africa in horrendous conditions; this brought a Gold Medal. Marcin was the final piece of the jigsaw that was needed to do this job……..take a bow Sir!

DamienAndMArtinSAPresentaion

UCI Para Cycling World Cup, South Africa 2016, Gold Medal

It was a bitter disappointment when we were informed Marcin would not be piloting the bike for Damien in Rio. Sadly this is the nature of the sport and Marcin has been very gracious and vowed to help all the way to the end.

I wish the best of luck to Damien and his pilot Sean Hahessy with whatever comes next.  It was a roller-coaster ride with so many highs lows and a lot of hard work. Thank you to everyone who was involved in the journey and made this dream become a reality.

For Focus on Fitness this was a journey that has given me great satisfaction both personally and professionally.  Damien was and still is an absolute pleasure to coach, travel with and race with – “Through dedication success WILL come”.

Cycling To Para Dreams Fundraising Page

 

Get in touch

Need to find anything out?

Click here

If you are looking to increase your fitness levels and reach your goals, Martin is the man for you.

David Connolly

The best thing about working with Martin is that he clearly remembers what it was like to start from scratch and because of this he understands what you are going through and is there to support you through it all.

Brian Jacob

I know without a doubt that I would not have achieved a fraction of what I have without Martin’s support and guidance.

Katie Ryan

I have been told at the track that we run so well together it appears like we are one person running.

Amanda Crotty

I heard of Martin through a friend and cannot speak highly enough of the motivation, encouragement and self-belief he has instilled in me.

Tony Hughes

Through Martins personal involvement in my training, observing and tweaking elements as the year went on, my 2015 season consisted of me consistently knocking 7-8 minutes and sometimes more.

Seamus Wall

Whats special about training with Martin is that regardless of how many people he is training he has a massively individual approach and takes into account each persons level of fitness/performance, goals, challenges and balancing training with everyday life.

Kate Nolan

What Focus on Fitness offers is a ‘unique’ package, tailored to individual needs, combining Experience, Knowledge, Commitment, Time and above all Patience!

Siobhán Kennedy

For anyone looking to improve their Running, Cycling or just to get direction and focus in training I have no doubt that with Martin’s help you can achieve your goal.

Ger Nolan

I would recommend anybody to try focus on fitness it’s changed me for the better in so many ways.

Nigel O'Sullivan

I am absolutely delighted to have completed my first Half Ironman, the biggest event I have ever done!

Siobhán Keating

Transitioning from Indoor Cycling to Road Cycling

This is the first week that we can now cycle any where within our county. Is everyone else as excited as I am?? Over the last 3 months, many of us brought our Spring cycling training back indoors due to Covid-19 restrictions. We worked hard on the turbo trainer to keep our fitness levels up,...

Read More

Keeping Motivated

It was great to speak with Ciara Losty, Sports Psychologist, last week to get some advice on getting through this strange time. With the lockdown being extended to May 5th, here are a few simple, but effective tips to help you through this time. Focus on what you can control With so much going on...

Read More

5 Cycle Routes in the South East of Ireland

Looking for a change of scenery for your weekend rides? Sick of the same routes time and time again? I have compiled 5 cycle routes in the South East of Ireland for you to try.

Read More