NAME: VICTORIA ‘TORI’ PENA SPORT: Pole vaulting AGE: 28 COUNTRY OF BIRTH: United States

IRISH CONNECTION: Her maternal grandmother Angela McCoy (née Coyle) was born in Derry This will be Tori’s second time competing for Ireland in the Olympics. Her last turn in London 2012 proved to be a disappointing experience. She failed to clear her first height of 4.1 metres after three attempts and was out of the event in the qualifying round. But she has high hopes for Rio. Born and raised in Orange County, California (that’s right – The OC), her father’s side of the family is Mexican but her mother’s Irish heritage also had a strong influence in the Pena household. She did Irish dancing as a teenager and took part in the 2003 World Irish Dancing Championship in Co. Kerry.

She took up pole vaulting in High School and competed for the UCLA Bruins while a student at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Around the time of her graduation in 2010 she took out dual Irish-US citizenship and registered with Finn Valley Athletic Club in Co. Donegal, where Irish Olympic athletics team manager Patsy McGonagle is also a team leader.

‘I saw an opportunity in front of me to be able to continue competing, to travel, to meet new people and make new friends,’ she has said about her decision to declare for Ireland. ‘So it was kind of a no-brainer for me and I’ve never regretted my decision, I’ve enjoyed it every step of the way.’

She splits her time between her home in California and training grounds in Arizona but also comes regularly to Ireland to compete, where she has set several Irish records.

‘I really think weather is something that makes field events even more difficult in Ireland’s case,’ she has said.

Despite her reservations about the Irish weather, she takes her donning of the green very seriously: ‘Competing for Ireland has really shaped me as a person,’ she says.

‘It has truly been such a special experience and I consider it an honour.’