Lucy McGlynn - setting the bar high in many sports - athletics, Gaelic football and basketball

The awards are arriving thick and fast for Lucy McGlynn of Tir Chonaill AC and Coláiste Cholmcille, Ballyshannon.
Last week she was named on the Ulster GAA Colleges All-Star list at centre half-back and on Saturday next she will be presented with an Athletics Ireland Award for her achievement in winning the national multi events both indoors and outdoors.

At the weekend she continued her great form winning won two silvers, finishing second in the National Junior women’s 60m hurdles and 400m in 8.86 seconds and 56.77 seconds respectively. Her 60m hurdles time was not just a PB but a new Ulster senior record, eclipsing none other than Sharon Foley.

When you throw in her involvement with Letterkenny Blaze in reaching a national quarter-final in basketball and also looking forward to the start of the Ladies Gaelic club league with Aodh Ruadh in April, it is a busy schedule for the 17-year-old fifth year college student.

Basketball, even though it is a sport she loves, has had to take a back seat, as her athletics career continues on an upward curve. The same can be said of Gaelic football at intercounty level, something that was a difficult decision for her.

Most weekends in recent times have been taken up with schools' and the indoor athletics season, where she competes in hurdles events and multi events.

Yet despite her busy schedule, Lucy is thoroughly enjoying what she is doing. By her side for the journey has been her mum, Orla, who describes herself as "Logistics Manager."

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The Ballyshannon native works in strength and conditioning for the team

Lucy is the youngest of three siblings in the McGlynn household and all three are high achievers in the world of sport. It is probably no coincidence that mum was also into athletics while dad, Martin, is one of that unique band who has a Hogan Cup medal with St Mel's of Longford as well as Donegal championship medals with Aodh Ruadh.

Andrea is the oldest of the family and she has been part of an Ireland U-17 basketball team while at present she plays rugby with DCU. She missed out on their final yesterday (Wednesday) because of a concussion issue.

Brother Mark was a member of the UUJ Freshers team who won their cup competition recently, being named man of the match, and he followed that up with a league win this week. Mark also plays rugby with UUJ and also had success with Sligo Grammar School at rugby and basketball. And he is also a vital member of the Aodh Ruadh senior team.

So for the 'Logistics Manager' in the house, Orla, it has been a busy time over the last number of years.
"I've always said, if they want to go, I'll drive them. If they don't want to go, it's okay. Sure we've had great craic," says mum Orla.

For Lucy the focus has been very much on athletics for the past year with Gaelic football having to take a back seat.
"It has a wee bit this year, but I'd still love playing with the club. Our league for the seniors starts on the first weekend of April and that's when my indoor season (athletics) will be over," says Lucy, who hopes to play as many games for Aodh Ruadh as her schedule will allow, with the outdoor athletic season due to start in May.

One of the things she is disappointed at missing out on was playing for the county minors this year. "I would have loved to have gone but it just didn't fit in. Especially the minors because one of my friends was on it this year. I wanted to give my full commitment to it, but I knew I couldn't it," said Lucy, who was part of Donegal intercounty panels at U-14 and U-15.
"I'd like to continue Gaelic when I go to college," she said.

Lucy McGlynn after another top hurdles finish

"In fairness to the likes of Sylvester (Maguire) and Paul Gillespie, she has been lucky with coaches. She also had Barry Ward for a while," says mum.

"We've won from U-12 to minor county titles and now we are trying to compete at senior intermediate. We got to the semi-final last year," said Lucy, who says it is an ambition to get a county medal at intermediate.

Her training schedule includes strength and conditioning at Pro-Fit with Bryan McGuinness along with coaches mum and Eamon Harvey at Tir Chonaill AC, who comes in for huge praise.

"He just loves the sport and has a great way with him. He is so enthusiastic whether you are eight years of age or 80 years of age.
"He really believes that you should continue with as many sports as you want or can. He is never saying give up this or give up that," says mum.

After her many successes on the indoor circuit, Lucy has a difficult decision to make about her athletics future, whether to stick to an individual hurdles event or continue to do multi events.

"Hopefully, during the summer I will try to do the 400m hurdles. I have been more focussed on multi events and doing that for the last two or three years and I always did the short hurdles.

"But in the indoor season this year I've started doing more 400m hurdles and in summer I will continue that.
"I did the nationals (in multi events) in January and I won that, but going forward it is very hard to fit in training for seven events every week and also being in school," says Lucy, who will be sitting her Leaving Cert in 2023.

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But at the moment she is just enjoying the experience. "You meet so many people and you become so much closer to people through those trips, rooming with different girls and making new friends."

And while she is happy competing at individual events, she also loves playing Gaelic football for the team effect.
"That's the thing I like about Gaelic, it's a team thing. I find it more fun and carefree, even though you do want to win, but it is as a team. It is not just up to you.

"In athletics, I'd be quite hard on myself and hopefully then try to focus again on the next race," said Lucy, who feels that there is less pressure in the longer 400m hurdles than on the shorter hurdle races.

"The weekend gone by I was really happy because I set two new Personal Bests (PBs) and I had wanted to get those times from the start of the indoor season. The week before last at the Ulsters, I was a bit unhappy with myself and my performance, but I just said to myself last weekend to forget about it and go out and run, and it went well on the day."
And what about mum: "I'm actually very calm about all of this. The main thing is I know whether she is enjoying it or not. If she's enjoying it then there's no pressure.

"She would be in the top five for most events and in the multi events she is national champion." (The multi events have five indoors and seven outdoors - hurdles, 200m, shot putt, long jump, high jump, javelin and 800m).
"She is also a very good time manager."

Her busy life means there is little time for socialising, but she is happy with that."I have been away most weekends, but it doesn't actually bother me that much. I still see my friends in school and at training, but again a lot of my friends would be into their sport as well."

There have been international events representing her school and club. Every week the name of Lucy McGlynn has been to the fore in sports reports and it looks as if that is set to continue for some time to come.