If you desire to cultivate a magnificent flower from a seed, start by locating the ideal one and preserving it in a dry spot. Plant it delicately into a pot filled with rich and fertile soil when the time is right. Ensure the pot has a bright, warm ambiance, keep it hydrated and wait. In due course, a green sprout will break through the soil, eagerly anticipating growth and accomplishment. Transfer the tiny plant into a larger pot and observe patiently.
David Gillick’s journey as a global athlete sprouted in Ballinteer, a community in south Co Dublin, offering a fertile nurturing environment. His talents were cultivated to such an extent here that they helped him secure two European indoor sprint golden medals, a sixth-place position in the world championships, and participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Now retired from competitive running, 40-year-old Gillick uses the determination he developed during his younger years in his role as a wellness advocate and to make a name for himself in Irish sports broadcasting.
He acknowledges the crucial role that his community played in his athletic achievements and appreciates the importance of sponsorship initiatives such as The Energy Behind The Athletes and The Energy Behind Team Ireland by Flogas Energy, which bring the essential role of community support into prominence.
Reflecting on his upbringing, Gillick concludes that his community played a vital part in his sporting journey. He fondly remembers how his primary school teacher, Olive Horgan, who was a sports enthusiast, would take them to a nearby field every spring term for racing, and if you were good, you’d be selected to represent the school in competitions and even join the local running club.
Gillick was evidently talented and soon became a regular member of Dundrum Athletic Club. He views this club as a perfect example of the selfless volunteerism present in every community across Ireland.
“The Dundrum Athletic Club was founded by a pair, Liz and Eddie McDonagh, several years ago,” Gillick shares. “Nearly every weekend, they ensured a bus loaded with kids and athletes was heading to some event or the other.”
“The role of volunteers in the growth and success of sports in our nation can’t be underestimated. They are the bedrock, the lifeblood of sports, providing the guidance and support that empowers young athletes to rise to the top. Their contribution to the community is immeasurable. Diligently dedicating countless hours without compensation to nurture and inspire these youngsters, they serve as the catalysts shaping the future of our Olympic representation.”
Gillick paints a vivid picture of these undervalued figures. He describes them sacrificially enduring freezing winter mornings on the sidelines, facing the disgruntled scrutiny of parents for their child’s playing time. They also spend relentless hours in committee meetings, ingeniously stretching a scanty budget, or even resorting to local supermarket bag packing in hopes of soliciting coin donations to finance the Majorettes’ forthcoming global trip.
So why on earth would they willingly take on such responsibilities? “Sport is their ultimate passion. They don’t perceive it as an infringement on their time. Quite the contrary, it brings them immense satisfaction, empowerment, and personal contentment. They don’t do it for tangible rewards or profits. They are driven by the desire to make a difference, to uplift and inspire. It’s an innate trait deeply embedded in their souls,” Gillick explained.
Helping seedlings grow into robust and thriving plants is a metaphor that mirrors this beautiful act of nurturing in humans. An act that prepares the adolescent for its final transition to the harsher outdoor garden. Just like in gardening, they must be ‘hardened off’ to acclimatise them to tougher conditions.
Jordan Conroy, a decisive component of the Irish rugby sevens squad for the impending Olympics, is a perfect example of this process. Now 30 years old, Conroy spent the initial decade of his life in Germany subjected to the harsh climate of domestic abuse by a tyrant stepfather.
Having miraculously escaped this traumatic experience, his brave mother, Jennie, managed to take Jordan and his sister to the safety of her sister’s house in Offaly. With nothing more than two cases of their possessions, the family initially crammed into a single room, but they carried something more valuable from Germany – the spirit of resilience.
Conroy looks back on his younger years and acknowledges he was “a challenging youngster” who was remarkably talented in athletics. He shone in speed running and football, flirted with hurling and gridiron and eventually ended up on the green fields of Tullamore Rugby Club. This is where he could truly begin to grow.
The relief is almost palpable in Jordan Conroy’s tones as he talks about the immediate sense of acceptance he felt in his recently discovered community.
“They steered me towards the understanding that in sports, I was not only representing myself but also something much larger
— Jordan Conroy
“It provided me a sense of place,” he reveals. “The urge to return, make numerous friends, establish more links. The turning point arrived when I became an adult and joined the seniors. They took me under their tutelage and introduced me to a ‘fraternity’. I felt like walking into a team filled with elder siblings. They saw potential in me, a potential I never dreamt of having in rugby.”
Conroy confesses he was far from being “a paragon” during his teenage years, and the seniors’ embrace was just the tonic he desired at that era in his life. Whilst every newcomer experienced a warm reception, his seemed especially congenial and close-knit.
“Perhaps due to my circumstance, they might have considered I required extra support. They might have deemed I was a hopeless case, considering the level of backing I received,” he laughs. “Their aspiration was to see the best of me and would not hesitate to reprimand me if ever needed. They drilled into me that when you’re into sports, besides self-representation, you’re presenting a larger entity.”
Conroy rightfully perceives that a communal backing for a local sporting hero is an integral part of the Irish cultural fabric, similar to Gillick’s homecoming celebration thrown by the local GAA club, St Johns, after his European gold medal triumph.
“After every match, we’d join the rival team and supporters in the clubhouse,” explains Conroy. “One of them would invariably remark, ‘God, you’re extremely talented, and you’re destined for an international jersey. I’d express my apprehension about my ability to catch and pass, but they’d reassure – ‘Don’t fret, that skill will develop with time.’”
Gradually, it dawned on me that they identified something in me that I couldn’t discern.”
Gillick and Conroy serve as representatives for Flogas. “The Energy behind the Team endeavour is a celebration of the resilient energy and unwavering support from communities, coaches, friends, and families that help our athletes to succeed,” says Rita Kirwan, the director of marketing and communications at the company. “Our goal is to acknowledge the energy that these communities contribute in motivating and inspiring our athletes.”
– Flogas’s brand spokespeople are David Gillick and Jordan Conroy.
“The Energy Behind Team Ireland,” an exclusive two-part series on Virgin Media One, is set to broadcast on Thursday, 18th July and subsequently on Thursday, 25th July, both at 8:30 pm.