Sport Inspires Podcast
Hello and welcome to the Sports Inspire Podcast — a new series in collaboration with The Mary Peters Trust and the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund.
Each episode will give you the chance to listen-in on conversations with Northern Ireland’s incredible sports men and women on the topics of performance, mental health and life after sport.
Olympic Rower and Medical Doctor Philip Doyle
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Welcome to Sport Inspires: a podcast recorded in collaboration with The Mary Peter’s Trust and made possible by the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund.
Today’s episode is with Olympic Rower and Medical Doctor Philip Doyle.
In today’s episode we talk about:
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Being headhunted to work for Abercrombie
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Harsh, ego-checking advice from his teacher “Helen”
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How he got into rowing
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Eating 8000 calories per day
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What makes a good rowing partner
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And why you shouldn’t water dead plants
Check it out!
Claire Taggart on Boccia, Dystonia, Travel and Tortoises
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Welcome to Sport Inspires: a podcast recorded in collaboration with The Mary Peter’s Trust and made possible by the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund.
Today’s episode is with Claire Taggart, the 2022 Boccia World Champion and the first person from Northern Ireland to ever compete at the Paralympics in the sport.
In today’s episode we talk about:
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What boccia is (and why it’s “way better than bowls!”)
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Being diagnosed with a neurological condition at the age of 18
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How Claire got into the sport
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The logistics of travelling with an eletric wheelchair
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Why boccia is a “nail-biting sport”
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The opportunties being a professional athlete has brought into Claire’s life
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And advice she would give to her 18-year-old self.
Check it out!
Episode 6 – Marissa Callaghan
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Welcome to Sport Inspires, a podcast recorded with the Mary Peters Trust and made possible by the Coca-cola Thank You Fund.
Today’s episode is with Northern Ireland Women’s Football Captain Marissa Callaghan, who led the team to their first-ever major tournament qualifier last year in a historic match against Ukraine.
The conversation you’re about to hear was very kindly hosted by Nicola McCarthy and touches on
- Where Marissa’s love for the game came from
- The journey that’s led to women’s football being put on the map in such a historic way
- And how Marissa and the team are preparing for the biggest tournament of their lives in 2022.
Thanks so much for being here and we really hope you enjoy.
Episode 5 – NI’s Three Olympic Gold Medals (Jimmy Kirkwood, Mary Peters & Stephen Martin)
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Today’s episode is with Olympic hockey stars Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood who both won gold medals with Team GB in the 1988 Summer Games.
In this conversation myself and Lady Mary Peters talk with them about:
Thanks so much for being here and we really hope you enjoy.
Episode 4 – Michael McKillop
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Michael McKillop is a four-time Paralympic Gold-Medalist who currently holds the world record for the 800m and 1500m races.
In today’s episode, Matthew Thompson and Lady Mary Peters talk with Michael about:
- What it was like being coached by his father at a young age
- His current journey to the Tokyo 2020 Games
- And how he’s dealt with cerebral palsy and mental health challenges along the way.
Thanks so much for being here and we really hope you enjoy.
Episode 3 – Carl Frampton
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Today’s episode is with legendary two-weight world champion boxer Carl Frampton who’s recently retired from the sport just a few months ago.
Along the way Thomas Kane and Gold Medalist Lady Mary Peters ask Carl about :
- How retirement has been treating him
- What he plans on doing next
- And some of the lessons he’s learned from the highs and lows of an incredible career
Episode 2 – Katie Mullan
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- The role team spirit has played in their success
- What it was like to win a silver medal in the world cup while being ranked 15th
- And how they’ve been training through lockdown to become the first women’s team in history to take home an Olympic medal in just a few weeks times.
Episode 1 – Rhys McClenaghan
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Our first episode is a double-whammy, featuring a conversation with Gold-Medalist Lady Mary Peters and an interview with 21-year-old Gymnast Rhys McClenaghan who is competing in his first Olympic Games this summer.
Sports Inspire is a Best Of Belfast Production and our theme music is Go For Gold by Spring Gang.
Special thanks to Stephen Watson who kindly hosted the Rhys interview featured in this episode.
How to listen
If you don’t have time to tune in right now, you can listen to today’s show on
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Stitcher
Overcast or your favourite podcast app.
New episodes in this series will go out every 2nd Monday on the Best Of Belfast platform and will feature the wide range of talent and personalities competing at the highest level of their given sport.
Search Best Of Belfast on your favourite podcast app and subscribe today.