Orla Walsh turns 20 this year and has already complied some excellent results. Last year she came 4th in Triathlon Ireland’s ‘Elite Women’s’ Sprint national championships. She also had a Top 20 finish in 2018 ETU Junior Championship in Estonia as well as top 20 finishes in Junior European Cup Events in both Holland and Portugal.
Now entering another season, Orla gives her Top 10 tips for anyone new to triathlons
- Bite the bullet and enter a race, motivate yourself and work towards your goal. Don’t start with an Ironman, start with a sprint style event and build yourself up
- Join a club, surround yourself with people who have experience in the sport. Triathlon clubs have a great pool of resources which you can tap into. Members will always be on hand to give you advice and pointers. Joining a club will also get you accustom to cycling in a group, helping you improve your bike handling skills
- If you aren’t comfortable in water, build your confidence up. Perhaps, go to the sea and have a
Orla Winning the women’s category of the 2015 Liffey Swim
dip and splash. Start building up your swimming and increase your distance over time. Never swim in the sea alone
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses, include all three disciplines with a focus on your weakness
- Plan your time, make sure to include training around your schedule and then make time to train
- Manage yourself before an event, be consistent and don’t leave training to the last minute, make a check list and be prepared before all events. As the old saying goes, “You fail to plan, you plan to fail”. This will ensure that you go to the triathlons, in a relaxed and confident mood.
- Keep things fresh training, tackle new routes and do different sessions
- Don’t invest in expensive kit, straight away. There are plenty of options available on the market. Again, speak with your club mates and get some advice from them.
- Believe in yourself, it doesn’t matter what age you are, it’s good to challenge yourself
- Have Fun! Triathlons are great craic and you’ll never regret them.
Orla (Far Right) with her team mates Erin Mc Connell (Far left) and Maeve Gallagher (middle) at last year’s ETU Junior Cup event in Quarteria, Portugal.
