Visibility is important in inspiring young boys and girls to take up sport. People, not medals or achievements, initially fire the imagination of the impressionable. It’s constantly reinforced when discussing the genesis of sporting careers.
The women’s 20x20 campaign, with its slogan, ‘if she can’t see it, she can’t be it’ has been a significant and valuable conduit in raising the profile of women’s sport and in recalibrating perception; well at least to those who are receptive to the undertaking to level the playing field. Unfortunately there will always be knuckle marks on some areas of the discussion.
Five years ago, an 11-year-old Róisín Ní Ríain watched the Paralympics in Rio from her home in Drombanna near Ballyneety in Limerick, principally the performances of swimmers like Ellen Keane, Nicole Turner and Ailbhe Kelly.
Keane was just 13 when she made her Paralympics debut in Beijing in 2008, represented her country four years later in London and then in Rio, returning to Dublin with a bronze medal. Since then she has stockpiled further medals at European and World Championships.
Turner turned 14 in the summer prior to the Rio Paralympics and arrived having won a silver and bronze at the European Championships earlier in the year. She competed in five events in Brazil, qualifying for the final in every one and setting personal best times in six out of her 10 races. Since then she too has medalled at championships.
In a relatively short timeframe Ní Ríain has gone from watching Keane and Turner on television to being their team-mate, the three girls part of a five-strong Team Ireland swimming squad that will compete in the Tokyo Paralympics that start next Tuesday. Like Turner in 2016, Ní Ríain, is the youngest member of the Irish team.
Limerick teenager Ní Ríain is visually impaired. She wouldn’t be able to read the arrivals/departures board at an airport or the clock/board at a championship in swimming. She explained: “I see very little to the sides, my peripheral vision [would be very poor]. In terms of straight ahead I would struggle with that as well.”
One of the several disciplines in which she competes is the backstroke, her favourite event, so how does she know where the wall is? "I count the strokes." There are no audio aids. Ní Ríain received her first swimming lesson at four and has been based at the University of Limerick pool, a member of Limerick swimming club, since she was nine, under the coaching direction of John Szaranek.
She is the eldest of four girls – 12-year-old twins Sorcha and Sadhbh and the youngest Maedhbh – her family hugely supportive of her endeavours, particularly her parents Seosamh and Marian, who have had to fulfil the practical obligations of ferrying their daughter to the pool; early mornings and late evenings.
Hamstrung by what sports were available to her, she did a little athletics "but swimming quickly became my focus. I loved it." Away from the pool she reached level seven on the piano and when pushed to pick a favourite musician she lists Ludovico Einaudi who "has a couple of nice pieces that I like listening to. I'm pretty easy going when it comes to music. I like pop music, whatever's trending."
It’s perhaps not a surprise to learn that Ní Ríain likes medical and crime shows on television given that her parents are both doctors. Not that she has a great deal of down time, give her training regimen. She has nine, two-hour swim sessions a week. In shorthand form she’s in the pool every day bar Sunday, which is truly a day of rest.
She's up at 6.15am, grabs a quick breakfast and is at the pool for seven. She finishes in time to make it to Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh – Naomi Carroll, a member of the Ireland hockey squad is a teacher there – and four days a week there are evening swim sessions from 7-9pm. Throw in two or three gym sessions and there isn't much time to breathe away from swimming.
She explained: “Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh has been quite supportive and understanding of my schedule.” Does she get any special dispensation? “No,” she smiled: “It’s just the normal school day, 9am-4pm. Ní Ríain does acknowledge that the fact she has just finished Transition Year and not had any exams, like Junior or Leaving Cert, was helpful in allowing her to train and compete.
The Irish teenager announced her arrival on the world stage with a string of impressive swims at the World Para Swimming Series in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy in late 2020. In December she beat Paralympic gold medallists Aurelie Rivard and Hannah Russell at the Lebrara's Race, the world meet hosted by British Para-Swimming.
She received her international classification – exams to ascertain the extent of her vision impairment – last April so as to be eligible for selection for Tokyo. Her selection was copper-fastened by her performances on debut in a major championship, the Europeans in May in Madeira. She won a bronze medal in the 100 metres backstroke in a personal best time of one minute, nine seconds.
She also recorded her fastest times ever in the 100 metres breaststroke (1.22), the 50 metres freestyle (28 seconds), the 200 metres individual medley (2.33) and the 400 metres freestyle (4.45), making five European finals and twice just one place outside the medals. “I was happy enough with the Europeans. I swam PBs in most events which was great, but since I came home I have a really good training block. I feel like I am in a good place,” Ní Ríain said.
There is an impressive maturity and common sense when asked what she’s hoping for at Tokyo that eschews any bold pronouncements in favour of a more modest wish list. The priority is to focus on performance and see what if any rewards may ensue. She said: “I would like to go there and swim my best but the goal is to make as many finals as possible.” It’s a good place to start.
