Nhat Nguyen, a 24-year-old from Dublin, is poised to represent Team Ireland in the men’s singles badminton at the forthcoming Olympic Games in Paris. This will mark his second appearance in the Games, after his first debut in Tokyo. His ticket to the Olympics is a fruit of years of unwavering determination, discipline, and resilience, all of which he honed even before his initial encounter with a badminton racket.
Nguyen’s road to the international badminton scene started back in Vietnam, where he spent his formative years in a village outside Hanoi with his mother and sibling. Eventually, the family set off to join his chef father in Belturbet, Co Cavan, where he had been living and working for several years. The transition was far from straightforward.
Nguyen reflects on the early challenges, recounting how drastic the shift was. Acclimating to the language was particularly tough, requiring him to regress academically and painstakingly learn the basics of the language each day.
Nhat and his family eventually moved to Dublin. His introduction to badminton came through his father, an avid player. At first, Nhat simply saw the sport as a means of bonding with his father. The sport was strictly for leisure until a coach in Baldoyle recognised his talent and by his early teen years he was competing with – and triumphing over – much older participants.
But natural prowess wasn’t the keystone to his badminton achievements. He highlighted the role of discipline and rigorous practice, encapsulated by practice for two hours a day.
Despite making a strong impression at the 2021 Tokyo Games, Nguyen’s performance hit a rough patch the following year. He talks of a frustrating period late in 2022 when he went through a dry spell. The performance slump, he admitted, was a major blow that entrenched him in a six-month-long period of self-doubt.
Paul O’Donovan, a 30-year-old rower from Skibbereen, Cork, is in the lightweight men’s double rowing event in Paris. A rower since the young age of six, Paul has always loved the sport. Alongside his brother Gary, they won Ireland’s first Olympic rowing silver medal in the very same event in 2016. Paul has also demonstrated his prowess on the world stage, becoming a four-time world champion, twice with Gary in 2018, and twice in the single lightweight event in 2016 and 2017, as well as with Fintan McCarthy in 2019.
Although Paul has a distinguished track record, he is still relatable. During his childhood years on his parents’ dairy farm, he struggled with performing the morning milking duties, preferring to handle them in the evenings. Nowadays, his demanding training schedule of two daily sessions leaves no time for such tasks.
In addition to being a top-tier rower, Paul has excelled academically, earning degrees in physiotherapy and medicine. He dismisses the feat modestly, explaining it’s not about difficulty, but about the amount to learn and an individual’s natural talents and hard-working nature. It was rowing that reinforced his unwavering work ethic, which he subsequently applied to his studies.
Paul argues that enjoyment is as essential as setting goals in achieving success. He confesses that he isn’t particularly goal-oriented, but has found himself in the areas he truly enjoys working hard in. He believes that the more invested you become in anything, the more engaging and fun it becomes. Paul’s perseverance and constant effort, both on and off the water, have been key to his spectacular success and comeback, as seen in his superb win at the Irish Open following a major overhaul of his game.
O’Donovan firmly believes that our value should not be tied to our accomplishments; insisting that despite not always achieving his objectives from a young age, this doesn’t mean he’s unsuccessful. He believes satisfaction and happiness should stem from daily tasks, rather than the pursuit of distant goals. As the more content and satisfied you are with your activity, the harder you’re inclined to work and the closer you edge towards your ambitions. Yet, it’s key to remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.
He also emphasises that our self-worth should not be equated with our success or failure as we can’t control everything. O’Donovan inquires why try to determine your value through aspects you can’t govern?
Ger Mitchell, CHRO and corporate development director at PTSB, a company that sponsors Ireland’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes, introduces a sweeping ad campaign, called ‘The Human Behind the Athlete’. The campaign attempts to change public perceptions of athletes as extraordinary beings, instead focusing on the struggles and resilience involved in their journey.
Mitchell elaborates that the athletes’ journey involves more than just appearing on the starting blocks in Paris. It encapsulates all the years of dedicated work leading to that moment. This perspective, portraying athletes as more than their athletic achievements, aligns well with PTSB’s brand values – primarily its commitment to a customer promise that is “altogether more human”.
Mitchell asserts that the stories behind an athlete’s triumphs often remain unseen to most people. He elucidates on this point by offering examples like Nhat’s journey; he migrated with his mother, barely recalling his father and struggling with a new language, or Paul’s endeavor to balance his study of medicine while preserving his status as an Olympic champion. Mitchell emphasizes the significance of understanding these aspects, as they contribute notably to their ultimate achievements. These athletes aren’t just delivered to their games or races ready-made. Their journey entails a blend of intensive training and private affairs.
This reality, he further explains, elevates the athletes of Team Ireland, transforming them into truly admirable role models. Mitchell underscores the importance of learning from these sportspersons’ unwavering zeal, commitment, resilience, and self-sacrifice, and implementing these values into our daily existence.