Basking in the splendid sunshine of a June afternoon, Inniscarra Lake beckons all to envisage calm summertime reveries of unhurried ambles along its banks. For Zoe Hyde, however, such notions are out of place as she exerts her strength on her oars, swiftly navigating the lake – yet another day dedicated to pushing her physical boundaries in pursuit of unrivalled triumph.
The National Rowing Centre, nestled in an idyllic corner of the Irish countryside in Cork, serves as the heartbeat of Irish rowing, where visions of Olympic medals are sculpted into an impressive reality.
“The forthcoming weeks will find us here, before we depart to a training camp in Italy, slated just before the onset of the Olympics,” says Hyde. “Our schedule is essentially all-consuming. Our daily routine spans from 8am to early evening. The plan for the week is outlined at the start and, Irish weather permitting, we adhere to this regimen for the week.”
The secluded nature of the training at Inniscarra poses a stark divergence to Hyde’s position at professional service firm Deloitte, a job she deftly balances alongside her sporting aspirations. As an added bonus, Deloitte is also an affiliated partner to Team Ireland. Days for Hyde oscillate between the gym and the water, as she consistently engages in the cycle of training, eating, training, resting, from dawn to dusk.
“We do enjoy our personal time during the evenings and the occasional leisurely Sunday, but besides that, our routine is incessantly hectic,” she points out.
Much like the rest of us, Hyde appreciates her few and far between moments of respite, engaging in everyday, casual activities.
“Of course, there are times when one needs to unwind and simply relax,” she reflects. “The moments I step into my home in the evening, my main priorities are my couch, Netflix, and food, till I retire for the night.”
One might ponder, does the quest of achieving athletic supremacy often accompany a sense of solitude?
“To be frank, I’ve been fortunate enough not to experience any such feelings, primarily because we are a vast, united team, focused on achieving a common goal,” Hyde states. “In fact, it’s rare that I find time for myself.”
Immersed in a world where daily objectives revolve around becoming quicker, more robust, and resilient, Hyde’s team becomes a substitute family.
The sense of communal support is incredibly important, she mentions, likening their shared aspirations and uplifting one another to a secondary family. Having the freedom to indulge in the occasional ‘cheat day’ with foods like pizza and chocolate is also a plus – in their rigorous training regime, the need to rejuvenate their energy stores is ever-present.
Essential to this journey of sportsmanship is not just physical rigour, but mental fortitude as well. Paul Gaffney, a clinical psychologist at the Institute of Sport, echoes this sentiment. He contends that the transition from being a good athlete to a great athlete is largely hinged on psychological conditioning. Even though athletes need to have exceptional physical prowess, it’s the mental strength that often determines the successful from the unsuccessful.
For athletes, there’s substantial support during times of adversity, such as when things don’t go quite to plan or during prolonged injury spells. Gaffney sees himself as a guide, akin to a sherpa, assisting these athletes in their journey to the top and back. He maintains that his role involves ensuring their safe passage to and from the peak they strive for, and preparing them for the next climb.
Given the high stakes, even tiny margins can dictate whether an athlete is victorious or not. Every facet of the high-performance sporting world is crucial – from every conversation to every interaction. Gaffney says always having to stay on top of his game is a challenge he relishes, as any lapse could affect the athletes he works for. His drive is to constantly help them better their previous best and find that minor advantage that could lead to their triumph.
Also instrumental in Zoe’s journey to success is her nutrition. It is where Laura Mahony, a performance nutritionist, comes into the mix, playing a crucial role in her overall achievement.
Mahony highlights the immense importance of nutrition for those competing in physically vigorous sports like rowing. To perform at their peak and recover promptly from exertion, athletes have to adequately fuel themselves. Their diets must be carefully devised to support their personal goals and to accommodate their demanding training routines, such as Hyde’s multi-session daily practices.
To balance their energy expenditure during training, these high-performing individuals require a perfect mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and micro-nutrients. This nutritional strategy, Mahony describes, caters to their energy needs, concurrently offering muscle repair and bolstering overall bone health. An athlete’s prime performance is hinged on their nutritional health and rapid recovery capabilities.
The importance of physical conditioning in enhancing an athlete’s performance is further underlined by strength and conditioning coach, Eamonn Flanagan. Sports like rowing, which are essentially short endurance sports, necessitate immense strength and muscular power. Flanagan’s job revolves around honing these physical attributes to serve the athlete’s performance needs, while also developing their resilience to cope with intense training schedules.
In Flanagan’s opinion, a rower’s ability to increase their stroke count from 32 to 40 per minute can make all the difference in execution of their game plan. The ability to summon extra power in the crucial final 250m of a race is equally paramount. These formidable physical capabilities are cultivated during intensive training periods, such as those held at Inniscarra lake or the training camp in Italy.
Hyde’s selection for the Irish Olympic team symbolises the fruits of hard work and rigorous training. As she admits, despite the tremendous effort, there was always a degree of uncertainty around her qualification. However, once the news hit, her elation could barely be contained. Though it hasn’t entirely sunk in, she eagerly anticipates proving her calibre on the grandest stage in world sports.
Regarding her plans post-Olympics, has she noted down any additional sports events or will she focus on furthering her promising position in Deloitte Future Leaders Academy, a distinguished graduate program of the enterprise? The program paves the way for members’ successful career progression in a cooperative setting. It introduces avenues for both personal and professional advancement, facilitated by consistent coaching, developmental support and learning opportunities.
“Deloitte was my full-time engagement until I received the invitation to join the Ireland team,” reveals Hyde, describing the life-changing event. “The firm provided me with flexible hours to blend with the sports timetable and encouraged my full focus on the sport of rowing.
“Paris 2024 has always been my ultimate aim with solid backing from the company to prioritise my sporting pursuits. I feel greatly reassured knowing my position at Deloitte is secured during this phase; the support is exceptionally well-timed.”
Sinead Gogan, partner for people and purpose at Deloitte, claims that the shared ethos of the company encompasses high-performance, unwavering dedication and a commitment to excellence. “We aim to shed light on the limitless potential and notable influence the athletes, trainers and performance squads of Team Ireland have, not just on upcoming generations but on the country as a whole, through their support.”