Young Sta r’s going to ‘tri’ to m a ke Olym pic Ga m es

JACK McCullough has already achieved extraordinary things in his 16 years - both at sea and on dry land - but he isn’t about to rest on his laurels after being crowned Young Sport Star of the Year late on Saturday night.

The St Joseph’s CBS pupil qualified to compete in the World Mountain Running Championships last summer and won various off-shore swimming events before finishing sixth overall - second in his age group - at the European Sea Swimming Championships in Carlingford.

But it’s the triathlon - a combination of running, swimming and cycling events - which Jack aims to conquer in the hope of one day competing in the Olympics.

Family, friends and colleagues from Dunleer AC and Drogheda Triathlon Club converged on the Westcourt Hotel in huge numbers, clearly expecting Jack to do well, but the modest youngster admitted to being shocked when he was called up to accept one of the night’s main awards.

‘It feels amazing,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t expecting to win anything and I was just speechless when they called out my name.

‘I knew some of the others [Young Sport Star contenders] had massive support and I thought wasn’t going to be in their league, but my parents did do a lot of campaigning for me.

‘I was kind of embarrassed by that, but it worked out really well and I’m really grateful for them doing it because I wouldn’t have got the award otherwise!’

Jack is now enjoying a few weeks of relative calm when there are few competitions, but soon he’ll be cranking up the training again in the hope of winning more titles - and ultimately representing his country on the biggest stage.

‘Triathlon is the direction I want to take now,’ he said, when asked what sport he wishes to pursue in the longer term. ‘I’m focusing on doing this year’s National Triathlon Series in my age and doing well in that, and doing as many competitions as possible this year to fit around my training programme.

‘Eventually I hope to get a college scholarship with the triathlon - and if it takes me to the Olympics, then great!’

Away from the triathlon, Jack will keep entering major sea swimming events, and having gone close to European gold last year he intends going one better.

‘The sea swimming is major for me and I hope to take in the European Championships again and really give it a good shot and hopefully win it, because I was kind of sick coming up to that competition [last year].

‘And then I jumped off [from the pier] and injured myself. My hip came out and I could feel it niggling at me but didn’t realise until afterwards how bad it was.’

At the same time, Jack also intends to get back competing for his running club Dunleer AC, with whom he achieved a lot of success in the past.

‘Out of all the three sports [in triathlon], running would be my favourite,’ he pointed out, and I didn’t get to compete in the cross-country championships [last year], so I really want to do as many races as I can.’

However, while dad Padraig is a boxing coach with Drogheda-based Tredagh BC, there’s no chance of Jack entering the ring any time soon.

‘He never actually said, do you want to get into the boxing, and I never really said I want to get into the boxing, so it just never led to that and I ended up doing running and swimming,’ Jack explained.

‘He’s a boxing coach, but he used to be a really good runner and was actually at these awards 24 years ago!’ For the record, Padraig won the February award back in 1991 - when he was also 16! - for boxing and athletics and went on to win All-Ireland boxing titles and running gold at the FIESC games in Milan.

After receiving the Young Sport Star of the Year trophy, Jack had barely returned to his seat when there was even more news to celebrate as his near-neighbour Derek Shevlin was named as the overall winner.

‘He lives three doors down and I know him quite well and I know his twin Ken as well - Ken would take me to triathlon training occasionally.

‘Derek had big support as well and I actually wanted him to win. He had cancer twice and trained through it and I think that’s an inspiration that he didn’t let that [illness] get to him.

‘He’s a really nice guy too - and it’s a double victory for Clogherhead as well!’