What is your role within the support team, and what are your primary responsibilities?
My primary role for these Games is as a coach, and I’m working with Noel Hendrick, who is competing in the kayak single event.
How does your role contribute to the overall performance and wellbeing of the athletes?
I’ve worked with Noel for 10 years, so for him to qualify has been a dream. I’m here to support him and try to help him get the best performance we can. I also lead the Sport Ireland Institute Life Skills Team, which is all about preparing athletes for the Games experience and what comes after the Games.
How did you first become involved in this field, and what inspired you to pursue this career?
I was really fortunate to compete in three Olympic Games. When it came time to retire and transition out Sport Ireland introduced me to the High Performance Coach Pursuit of Excellence Programme. I always said I wasn’t interested in coaching, but it changed my mind. I got access to very senior coaches, people like Billy Walsh, people that have been there, done that, that you’d hold in high regard. That gave me a pathway into coaching.
What’s your favourite Olympic memory?
My favourite Olympic memory was qualifying for my first games, it was the realisation of a dream. I’m hoping that my new favourite Olympic memory will come from this event.
What’s something most people probably wouldn’t realise about elite athletes?
I would say it is how much the mental side of sport impacts the performance, just the level of preparation, the level of detail that goes into it.
What are you most looking forward to?
I’m most looking forward to watching Noel compete. I’m particularly hoping, fingers crossed, that every one on Team Ireland has the performance they deserve after the work we put into it.
How do you ensure the athletes are mentally and physically prepared?
It’s preparation over a long period of time. Before we even came out here, myself and Noel would have gone through a contingency planning list, where we were thinking, Okay, well, if this happens, then what do we do? If this happens? What’s our response? It’s also understanding that nerves are normal for a big event like this.
How do you support athletes who might be struggling with their performance or mental health?
A big part is about staying on top of how you manage doubts. So it’s about trying to manage that and just keep the train on the tracks as best you can.
If you hadn’t become an athlete and coach, what would you have done?
Well, I did do a business marketing degree for some sort of business. But I think when you’ve spent so long being an athlete, it’s quite hard to find something with the same intensity. I think that’s why a lot of athletes find their way into coaching.
Eoin Rheinisch is Head of Performance Life Skills at Sport Ireland Institute and the Senior Coach for Canoe Slalom in Ireland. Sport Ireland Institute is the official performance support delivery partner to the Olympic Federation of Ireland. Noel Hendrick competes in the Canoe Slalom and will be competing in the Kayak (K1) in Paris.
