BEHAN IS A RINGING SUCCESS
Road to Rio starts here
AS the Anniversary Games took place over the weekend, a year on from London 2012, it’s a time for nostalgia and reflection for participants.
For gymnast Kieran Behan, the last year has been a whirlwind. A large London 2012 tattoo on his right arm suggests the Olympics have had a huge impact on his life.
Behan’s unique story has touched the hearts of many. He struggles to describe how it feels to go from being told twice that he would never walk again, to representing Ireland in the Olympics. His emotional interview following his Olympics bout was one of the more memorable Irish moments from the competition. He says that was the moment it hit him. It all felt real.
‘The emotions really hit me then, which is a bit crazy. I thought it would have come a bit sooner. When you go to a competition you have a few days before the event where you have a dress rehearsal which is called podium training. I thought it would hit me more then but it didn’t. Not until I literally walked into the arena.
‘In the build-up I was constantly thinking “try to stay as fit as possi- ble” and that was sort of my main focus. On the day I woke up I was in relatively the best shape I could be at that point. Seeing my Mum and Dad in the crowd was amazing.
‘In training it’s quite easy to block it out because that’s your routine. When it comes to a competition, and especially the Olympic Games I think that’s when all the memories just rush back. Just picturing and seeing how I was, to actually be putting my hand up and ready to compete. It really blew me away,’ said Behan.
‘I would never change it for the world. It’s sculpted me into the person I am now. It was all new to me.’
Following the Olympics, initially Behan felt it necessary to get away from it all for a while. To let it sink in and to let his body recover.
‘I had a few months after where I just thought I needed to hide away a bit because obviously I didn’t hit as well as I could have. A lot of things didn’t go quite right on the competition day. I had to keep it a bit quiet that I had a fractured metatarsal and things like ligament [damage] in my foot about 2-3 weeks before the actual day I competed. That was pretty tough,’ he said.
‘The Olympics was on such a massive scale and everything was so different to anything I’d ever done before. Every athlete needs that shut-off process and for me it took a hell of a long time to just let my body completely recover.’
Injuries have hampered his career somewhat. He has had to rehab injuries just before going straight into competitions. This year, however, is different. He’s got time on his hands to improve on areas that he’s not happy with. Things are going well in training and he now feels like ‘a normal athlete’.
As 2013 is a quiet year, his focus is firmly on the European Championships that take place next year.
‘My main focus is next year as well because that’s when the qualifications for the Olympic Games is in the build-up and especially for the team. We’re playing the World Championships by ear because I’ve now got an actual full year to train and work hard and do all the hard work and have everything settled and stable for 2014/2015 and then hopefully Rio.
‘So I’m sitting down with my coaches and Gymnastics Ireland and [debating] whether to save me for it or whether to go for it. The way training’s going at the minute is phenomenal. I’ve learned so much in the last few months on a skill level.
‘I need to just keep improving that and see where I can go. If I can just go into next year with start values that are up there with the top 10 in the world then straight away I haven’t got anything to worry about, I can just maintain it.’
Yesterday, BT Ireland announced the renewal of their partnership with Behan for the next year. Thanks to their sponsorship, everything has changed for the better for him. He previously travelled two hours each way from his family home to the gym to train. But now he’s moved closer to the gym and is able to train 10am-4pm, four times a week.
‘It’s made such a dramatic change to me as an athlete, and to me in everyday living. I was able to get a bike, to be able to rent a flat close to the gym and things like that. I never would have been able to do that.
‘It’s so important, especially going into next year, and the end of this year it’s vital. It’s going to be the build-up to Rio. It’s tremendous the effect it’s had on me. I’m just so grateful to be honest.’