‘It’s an unbelievable feeling when all the hard work pays off’

To say Ronan Potterton has a varied career in sport would be like saying Brian Cody enjoyed the odd success as manager of Kilkenny or Sonia O'Sullivan could run a bit. It would be a major, outlandish understatement.

The 27-year-old lives just outside Athboy and has at one stage or another in his young life engaged in hurling, motorcycle racing, bike riding, running and swimming - sometimes a few of them at the same time.

The other week Potterton combined three of those sports and took part in a triathlon in Lough Cutra Castle in Galway. Not only that he won the race finishing ahead of some very capable athletes indeed, including professionals who finished close behind.

The ultra-challenging event consisted of a 1.9km swim. That was followed by a 90km cycle and just to top it all he then embarked on a half-marathon (21km). Despite the gruelling demands placed on him Potterton, who ran in the blue of the Kildalkey Tri Club, he clocked up some very impressive times indeed completing the entire race in four hours, 45 minutes. His times broke down into 33 minutes for the swim, two hours 32 minutes on the bike while his run was completed in one hour, 30 minutes.

"It was my first major win in a triathlon. I was a couple of seconds away from winning last year so this was very encouraging," he added. "It can be very tough going at times but it's very hard to describe the feeling when you cross the finishing line in a triathlon, there's a great sense of achievement. It's an unbelievable feeling when all the hard work pays off."

Potterton is on something of a roll at the moment as only a few weeks ago he won hi division in the famous Waller Cup cycling race hosted by Bohermeen CC. He cycles with Trim CC while his swimming training is done mostly in Collinstown Lake in Co Westmeath.

The fact that Ronan played hurling for Kildalkey at various levels is hardly surprising as his father, Pat Potterton, wore the Village's blue colours throughout his career and was one of the most accomplished hurlers of his generation - anywhere in the country. If he was born in a county such as Cork, Kilkenny or Tipperary, Pat would have a few All-Ireland SHC medals in his collection by the time he hung up the boots - and an All-Star or two as well.

And while Ronan enjoyed hurling he was intrigued by other sports. A qualified carpenter AND electrician, he really started to prepare himself for the unique rigours of a triathlon during Covid, culminating in that remarkable victory in Galway. "I enjoyed cycling but I found it very hard to do cycling and nothing else so I started to look at the triathlon. That win in Galway was the culmination of three years of training."

Apart from the training Ronan has to be careful what he eats - and that's where his parents Pat and Valerie play their part. They help to prepare very specialised meals for him. "Because I'm on the road a good bit I have to prepare the meals a week ahead, and that's where Mum and Dad help out. If I have a big run at the weekend I would have to prepare my meals to suit that, with plenty of protein and carbohydrates."

Ronan would like to try his hand at an ironman event but his ultimate ambition is to become a professional triathlete for a time and take part in races at home and abroad.

He has some sponsors already to help him along that path - and he's seeking more.

Next up for him is a "hard man race" in Killarney followed by another testing event in Barcelona in October, which he will participate in with his brother Patrick.

The aim for Ronan is to qualify for the World Championships in Barcelona.

That win in Galway was an indication he might just be right bang on course to fulfil that very laudable ambition.