Cliodhna Manning – a Finance Business Analyst Associate in Glanbia Business Services has been chosen to take part in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo this month.
Cliodhna is an athletics champion and will take part in the Irish 4 x 400m mixed relay squad in the Olympic Games in Japan. Training with Kilkenny City Harriers, Cliodhna has been running since she was 12 and always held onto a dream of becoming an Olympic runner. However, as she got older she realised how difficult this dream would be to achieve.
"I always dreamed of taking part in the Olympics when I was younger and competing in competitions throughout the years. But as I got older and I sustained injuries I realised it was more difficult than I thought. In the past three years, I had a lot of injuries and had surgery on my foot in February 2020, so to be honest, any hopes I had of getting to the Olympics were dashed then."
However, her healing powers were not to be underestimated, as when she recovered she signed up for a race in Belfast thinking that she had little to lose - she was very pleasantly surprised to compete so well.
"I realised in Belfast that maybe I had a chance – maybe there was still hope. Thankfully I raced well again after that, running a personal best as well as finishing second in the National Senior Championships. This was enough to book my ticket to Tokyo."
The squad of 3 men and 3 women will take part in the first heat on July 30th and the final will be held on July 31st. A team of four will run and the next challenge for Cliodhna is to make the final four.
"I really hope I get to run. But I am just glad to have been picked in the first place and to get to experience an Olympic Games. It's beyond my dreams. Of course everyone wants to run – nobody wants to travel that far and not run. But we will have to wait and see what happens."
Of course none of Cliodhna's family can travel with her this year due to the global pandemic and this is a source of disappointment for the athlete.
"My Mom and Dad and brother Jack will be watching from home. It is a pity that nobody can come - it's sad. My brother Jack is also a runner and we often train together – I have done most of my training this year around the Castle Park in Kilkenny, "she said.
Cliodhna flies out on Thursday July 15th with four members of the squad. This is the first year that Mixed Relay has been recognised as an Olympic Sport - so Cliodhna is making history in many ways.
Initially the team will stay three hours outside Tokyo in a holding camp for athletes until three days before their event when they will move into the athlete's Olympic village in Tokyo.
"I am really excited about that – it is going to be a great experience. I feel lucky to get to do it," she concluded.
"I would like to say a huge thank you to all in Glanbia for their support especially my team who have always been very accommodating and encouraging in both athletics and work"
We wish Cliodhna every good wish for a fun and successful Olympics for her and her team mates. Everyone in Glanbia is very proud of what she has achieved already.