EVE Walshe Dann took two years away from track and field after the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the para-athlete wasn’t expecting to get the call up for Glasgow.
Walsh Dan will again compete in the T38 100m metres and has also added the long jump to her programme and admits she’s learned a lot since Birmingham.
“I took two years out, so this is two years back into training, so being able to get back in at this standard is a huge surprise,” stated Walsh Dann.
“I learned in Birmingham that it’s not always about getting medals, it’s also about enjoying yourself while you’re there, making friends, especially outside your sport, as you can compete against the same people, but meeting different sports and other athletes, that’s a huge thing that you don’t get to do very often.
“Hopefully, I’ll get to go round on my days off and go and watch some other sports, that would be nice, no guarantee that that’s going to happen, but I’ll certainly do my best to try and do that.”
Walsh Dann admits it was demanding getting back into athletics after a two-year break: “It was very difficult to get back into the routine as I worked shifts, some days, I’m getting up at five o’clock in the morning to work and not finishing until half one, and then I have to go straight up to my training in Jordanstown, just so that I can get a good session in.
“Other days, I train early before going straight to work, and my coach very kindly drives me there so I arrive on time and can complete a full, worthwhile session.”
Away from the cut and thrust of top class international competition Walsh Dann has a high-pressure job.
“I’m working in the airport security in the City Airport and they’ve been very good, giving me extra days off, allowing me extra holidays so that I’m not spending all the time at competitions and not being able to see my family, it’s very kind of them.
“They’ve been supporting me, all the guys at work cheering me on. I’m sure they’ll be watching on TV, so thank you guys.
“I think work and athletics are equally as stressful, although I’d say work mostly because I’ve been doing the sport longer than working and I’m familiar with that.
“Running comes naturally, work, you have to focus constantly on what you’re doing, obviously keep people safe.”
The long jump is a relative new event for Walsh Dan.
“Last time I did the 100, this time I’m doing the 100 and the long jump, I’ve only been doing the long jump nine months, so it was a surprise that I got up to that standard that was needed, hopefully I’ll get a good result this time.
“I focus on my long jump running because obviously you have to take off at a certain spot, whereas if you’re sprinting you don’t need to worry about when you finish as long as you get across the line.
“It certainly helps doing your sprint training, it carries over into the long jump, so if you focus on the jumping part (3:56) of the long jump, the running will come naturally into other events.”
Walsh Dann is hoping the competition in Glasgow can inspire her performance.
“I would love to get down to the speed that I was at the last Games, so far I haven’t quite gotten there in competition, fingers crossed this big event will give me the extra push to get down to the level that I was then.
“The long jump, I would love to get over four meters, I’ve been doing that in training, and I have been doing it in competition, unfortunately, I’ve been taking off behind the board, which means the measurements aren’t as long as the physical jump. I’ve been getting 390 whenever I took off the board.
“I am sometimes in the training session with Kate (O’Connor) and Anna (McCauley), so that would be a great push that I needed rather than training by myself.
“Obviously seeing all the other athletes will be a wonderful experience and I’ll be able to ask them more questions about how to handle the pressure at this level.”
