Kenny Egan - My Story

Last updated: December 7, 2011

Having read his autobiography, I now know things about Kenneth Egan, that I have never discussed with even my best friends. In fact, I imagine he will still feel a sting in January from the endless back-slapping he will enjoy from every passing male!

It is more than a little disappointing however, that if he fails to regain his Irish Senior title in January, the sordid exploits of his drunken nights, may be our lasting memories of Irelands Olympic Silver medallist.

The book gives a brutally honest account of the factors which lead to Egan's very public plummet to self-confessed alcoholism. Ironically, attention and media coverage played major roles. At many points during the book, I wondered why the need to divulge so much personal information.

On the other hand, as a boxing fan, I really enjoyed his insight to the development of Ireland's High Performance boxing unit. Kenneth credits much of his success at international level to the work of his coaches and support team at the National Stadium on Dublin's South Circular road. It is clear, the foundation has been set to ensure boxing will continue to be one of our most successful sports.

Like many top class athlete's, Egan describes the importance of preparation, both physically and mentally. He believes, discovering how to focus on the present and avoid all self- doubt, helped him unlock his true boxing ability.

There are plenty of familiar names to keep the pages turning. We learn how Padraig Harrington gave him advice over a friendly cup of tea, Michael Carruth invited himself into the Egan sitting room and how Serena William's backside could help out if there are no free bar tables.

There are several very sad points in this book, but by the end we are left with an uplifting sense of hope for his determination to stay away from alcohol and box in another Olympic games. For me personally, my perception of a boxing hero has been shattered.  This in itself taught me a very important lesson. From now on, I will not allow sporting success define a person. As Kenneth Egan makes clear, he never asked to be anyone’s hero.

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ChiRunning - learning how to run for health & speed

Last updated: October 6, 2010

Nowadays, there seems to be no end of runners chasing personal bests, whether this means taking seconds off two laps around the park or a sub 3:30 marathon. Most people will admit to buying some gadget or other in the hope its what's needed to make the difference. For most of us, the benefit of knocking a couple of grams off the weight of a running shoe or using a sophisticated heart rate monitor, does not justify the cost. According to Catherina McKiernan (pictured here), a former Olympic, World and European athlete, improvements in speed and distance can be made, by focusing on the most important element of your performance...you! 

McKiernan is an advocate and master of ChiRunning. This is a style of running which uses posture of the body in a way which allows gravity to aid forward momentum. In contrast, a typical runner, reaches forward with each stride and hits the ground heel first. This effectively causes a breaking mechanism,forcing leg muscles to work very hard to propel the body forward. It can also be blamed for some of those frustrating recurring injuries to the lower limbs and back.
 ChiRunning workshops, organised by Catherina McKiernan, across Ireland, aim to help runners of all abilities to enhance running performance. Relaxation is a key element to fluid movement and as Catherina maintains, "if you don't use it, you can't abuse it."

ChiRunning students are taught  to lean forward as they run, allowing gravity to initiate movement. By contracting core muscles to stabilise the pelvis, the muscles of the legs can be used more efficiently. Learning how to avoid tension in the ankles, shoulders and gluteals, is of huge benefit to long distance runners, as the body uses less energy and can maintain power output for longer.
 Catherina has been teaching this technique in Ireland for five years. She is the first to admit that it is not a quick fix and to run in this way as second nature, takes practice. Having said that, most runners are by nature willing to work hard and improve slowly but surely.



For further information and to reserve a place, Catherina can be contacted at her website - www.catherinamckiernan.com.

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