EVE SET TO PEDAL FOR MEDAL GLORY AT RIO PARALYMPICS
CYCLING star Eve McCrystal is set to become the first Dundalk woman to compete at a Paralympic games, as a ‘pilot’ for a visually impaired cyclist.
Eve, who is a member of An Garda Siochana, has proudly taken her place among the Irish paralympic team, and will pilot for Katie- George Dunlevy, competing in tandem cycling events.
Having spent the last few weeks in an official training camp in Portugal, Eve spoke to the Argus as the dynamic duo, who have become a force to be reckoned with on the para-cycling scene, made the journey to Rio this week.
‘It’s an incredible honour to be representing |reland,’ said Eve. ‘We’ve really been putting the work in over the last few weeks, with a series of training sessions every day. So we’re feeling good about the games.’
Together since 2013, the pair have been winning medals and setting new Personal Best times with each competition they enter, and have certainly been flying the Irish tricolour high at numerous UCI Para- Cycling competitions.
They had major success at the 2016 UCI Para- Cycling Road World Cup in Ostend, claiming gold in both the time trial and the road race. Such success has seen them hotly tipped to be medal contenders.
‘Yes we certainly would be aiming to get on the podium for at least two of the events,’ added Eve.
In Para sport, tandem pilots and riders are equally important, with both acknowledge equally, and equal medals awarded to both. Eve confided that racing against paralympians is ‘on another level.’ ‘ These really are the elite people of their sport, so competition is never tougher than at these games. But we’re aiming for our very best performances in all four of our races.’
The duo have their first appearance in Rio
on September 9th, in a one kilometre ‘sprint style’ race, which Eve admits will be the toughest.
But after that they have a three kilometre race, a time trial and a road race, all of which will see them pushed to their limits for a medal.
Talking about her love for the sport, Eve adds that she will be sorry her two young children Ava (7) and Nessa (6) won’t get to see her at the paralympics.
‘ They’ve just been over with my mum during the training camps in Portugal, but we decided not to take them all the way to Rio.’
Indeed, she praises her mum Frances for the support which gives her the chance to compete at elite level sports.
‘She is my back bone, I really couldn’t do this without her.’
With her girls growing up watching their mum racing all the way to glory, Eve says she ‘just hopes to make them proud.’
Check out Eve’s paralympic progress on ‘ Team-dunlevyandmccrystal’ on facebook