IT IS ROUGHLY three years since Katie-George Dunlevy and pilot Eve McCrystal were introduced to one another.
At that stage, Dunlevy had already gained considerable renown in the sports world. Born in Crawley, she won two world titles representing Britain in rowing in 2004 and 2005.
Yet with funding for the sport scarce and her passion for it diminishing, Dunlevy opted to make a bold move.
Despite feeling a degree of apprehension and having little experience in the sport, the talented and versatile athlete made the switch to para-cycling and accepted an offer to represent Ireland at the 2011 Road World Championships, qualifying for the country through her Donegal-born father.
It didn’t take long before Dunlevy’s passion for the sport became apparent. She ultimately went so far as to represent Ireland at the 2012 Paralympics along with pilot Sandra Fitzgerald.
The pair made significant progress during their short time together, even winning the World Cup Road Race in the lead up to London 2012.
The subsequent performance at the Paralympics confirmed Dunlevy’s natural talent for the sport. With Fitzgerald as her pilot, she secured personal bests in the Track Pursuit and Track TT events, but ultimately narrowly missed out on a medal, with the pair coming seventh once and fifth three times in the respective para-cycling events.
Yet despite an encouraging Games, Dunlevy and Fitzgerald amicably parted ways thereafter. The latter, however, had a recommendation for her replacement. A fellow member of An Garda Síochána, Eve McCrystal, had been a talented triathlete up to that point.
Sport had taken a backseat in McCrystal’s life for a number of years, however, as she sought to focus on work and raising her two children, but the time was now right to get seriously involved again.
I was aware that Sandra was finished with Katie, she was just moving on,” McCrystal tells The42. “She just said to me in a room one evening (at a triathlon event): ‘Do you know what, you’d be perfect for that.’ I didn’t hear much more about it, I just did more races and I went home.”
The 38-year-old Dundalk native later received a call from Neill Delahaye, the National Performance Coach, who made a more formal offer for her to team up alongside Dunlevy with an eye on the Paralympics three years later.
He said: ‘look, it’s there for you if you want to have a go at it’. I did and I got on really well with Katie from the start, we just gelled.”
McCrystal comes from a sporting family — she took part in swimming, athletics and football while growing up and her brother Bryan is a former professional footballer who was once on the books at Leeds United and became the Irish Ironman record holder at an event in Barcelona in October 2015.
Once they paired up, it didn’t take McCrystal long to realise she had something special going with Dunlevy.
Katie’s very easy to get on with. We’ve very different personalities off the bike. We always said if we didn’t have sport, we might never be friends.
“We’re very different people, but on the bike, we’re very close. Katie would always say she was very lucky to get a pilot who wanted the gold medal as much as she did.
We never veered from that and the two of us are old enough to realise you never win anything from pulling against each other and you have to come together and work together and that’s what a team is. I love being part of a team more than being out on the bike on your own. She’s always there, you can chat together, you can train together.”
And how specifically are the two different?
“Off the bike, I’d be more the outspoken one. I’d sometimes have to check myself that I wouldn’t be speaking for Katie.
But when we’re on the bike, she never shuts up. I think because of my role, I would take a lot more pressure on. Katie would talk me through it. Katie’s very vocal on the bike and her personality really comes out on the bike. When she’s off the bike, she’s quieter. We kind of reverse our roles on and off the bike. But we get on very well, even if we are chalk and cheese.”
For those unfamiliar with how the sport works, McCrystal as the pilot is responsible for steering the bike and controlling the gears.
35-year-old Dunlevy — who was at the age of 11 diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that that causes severe vision impairment — remains acutely aware of everything that’s going on in the race despite her limited sight, thanks to the efforts of her partner.
We do communicate all of the time,” McCrystal explains. “I’ll tell her if we’re in a road race that ‘the British girls are after attacking,’ and she’s aware of what’s going on at every point in the race. She’s never just sitting on the back of the bike pedalling.”
McCrystal, who feels she has become a “better athlete” since growing older and having kids, says that it was about six months before Rio when they started to seriously believe they could win a gold medal.
We got great results in the World Cup going into Rio and thought ‘we can do this,’” she recalls. “We just kept going.”
Preparations intensified as the dream grew closer. McCrystal took a year-long leave of absence from her work with An Garda Síochána. A team that included nutritionists and sports psychologists were assembled. Pre-Paralympics training camps in Portugal and Spain were especially tough going, as they prepared for the possibility of competing in scorching heat during the Games.
But eventually, the countless hours they had dedicated towards their pursuit paid off handsomely.
Dunlevy and McCrystal returned from Rio with two medals — a gold (time trial B) and a silver (road race B).
Dunlevy attributes trust and self-belief — as well as the efforts of their backroom team in ensuring they were fully prepared for the event — as the three key ingredients of their success.
I think the two of us just believed in each other. I knew that on the day, she would never let me down, and I didn’t want to let her down.
“I couldn’t breathe after that time trial (in which they won gold), I couldn’t even see. I knew that she was behind me giving exactly the same — 110%. I was never going to take my foot off the gas to let her down.
Our maximum speed was 90 kilometres an hour coming down a hill in Rio. She has to trust me, she’s no choice,” McCrystal laughs.
The duo’s triumphant moment was captured brilliantly by Diarmuid Greene of Sportsfile (it’s the main image for this article).
Greene’s photograph shows a tearful McCrystal and Dunlevy after winning their gold medal at the time trial, in equal parts exhausted and ecstatic as they bask in their hard-earned success.
Unsurprisingly, Greene’s evocative pic was voted Image of the Games at the OCS Irish Paralympic Awards earlier this month.
McCrystal says she was feeling “just pure relief” at the time of the iconic snapshot.
There was a lot of pressure on me as the pilot because ultimately, the decisions fell with me throughout the time trial, so when I heard we won, it was just ‘thank god for that’.
“Everything went well at the right time. You don’t always get that in sport, so it was just a really good day for both of us.”
Now back in her day job with An Garda Síochána, McCrystal’s main sporting aim for 2017 is to go one better than the silver medal herself and Dunlevy achieved at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in 2014.
Beyond that event in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa at the end of August, McCrystal insists she doesn’t know where her sporting future lies, though the 38-year-old is not ruling out another stab at a gold medal for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
McCrysyal’s two young girls, however, remain very much the priority, and it was their reaction that meant the most to her after the Paralympic triumph.
I’m extremely proud of both (Katie and myself). When you’re part of a team, you’re confidently talking and hoping and wishing that you’re going to get out of it what you can after the hard work put in.
“When you’re in the bubble of Rio and the Paralympic Village, you’re not really aware of (the hype back home), you’re just there to do a job ultimately. To do it and come back with a gold and silver medal and come back to the homecoming we came home to is just amazing.
For me, to see the children (Ava and Nessa), who were just over the moon, made it all worthwhile, the sacrifices I’ve been through. I’ve been away from them for a while, for the 12 months leading up to Rio. To see the wee smiles on their faces and the medals and taking them in to school the next day was the highlight for me.
“They’re only small — seven and eight — but I could genuinely see how proud they were of me.”
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A disaster. Foley has had a proper ‘mare since he took over. Awful team selection again tonight. You won’t win much with Billy Holland and O’Callaghan as your second row. And as for big Duncan Williams – God love us. Tiny crowd again, fans are beginning to give up.
Playing a winger at full back and a full back on the wing
You can add Murphy to that list too.
Very fickle fans if they’re giving up after one game in.
Keatley is just not good enough. Munster really need to spend some money. Shocking display tonight.
Get in a Peter Grant or perhaps a katrikilas. They would blossom in Munster Heineken cup rugby.
The point about the tiny crowd is the most important one here. Who would have thought that Munster would have such fairweather ‘fans’.
When you see Duncan Williams, johnnie murphy, billy Holland, sean dougal and Leighton hodges on the pitch together you no its going to be a long night
Just not good enough anymore plain and simple !!!
The worst thing happened to Munster was loosing penny
Shocking! Lost too much ball in rucks, too many basic errors, leaderless on the pitch and looked to be out muscled…
Whoever is in charge of the camera work in TG4 needs to be fired! Couldn’t see what was going on at the start of the second half.
Not a good night for Munster rugby.
For the love of god, Murray, please don’t do an in depth analysis piece on this, I might kill myself. That performance was absolutely shocking.
Really expected the team to lay down a marker tonight. Everything that went on in the week was enough of a reason, not to mind the fact that it was his first game and its at home.
Zebo needs to stop running sideways and learn how to tackle!
Zebo was hardly at fault I thought he was 1 of the better players (alot worse then him tonight) although he did miss a tackle towards the end which was pretty bad
Why was the game played behind closed doors?
The turn out was very bad for the curtain raiser to the new season for Munster, especially as it was axel’s first home game. Thought it would have been a much bigger occasion. One game doesn’t make a season of course but really thought tonight’s game was going to be a big event. Ah well thanks to the grace of god I’m a Leinster fan.
Duncan Williams =
There was a poo emoticon at the end of that. You know, the blank space works just as well. Awful.
I turned on TG4 for 10 mins and switched off again. Tired of watching second string teams play in the pro12. This is the first weekend of the competition. The organisers should want to grab viewers but after that why bother. Cannot blame the fans for not turning up. The same bolloxology of crouch touch engage (aka time to switch channels) is still around. Poor handling and zero pace. Why would you bother watching? It is meant to be entertainment.
IRFU Player Welfare policy tied Foleys hands in alot of his selections.. mind you starting Williams ahead of Sheridan is a puzzler
True but Munster just aren’t producing players through the academy! Leinster and to a lesser extent Ulster have been a conveyor belt of up and coming talent over the last 5 years. What has Munster produced in the last few years?
The playing population is pretty much the same demographic so the problem in Munster has to lie in the academy staff; as much as I love Munster I’m gonna say it: a 100% rookey training staff won’t help things…
Least that side to side nonsense is gone.
Delighted for stander
Yea, because they played so much better tonight.
When they’re filling in the latest version of the school report, the teachers might consider having somebody take a look at the teachers. I think strength and fitness and some skill work would be better than writing amateuerish comments on a report card.
Its going to be a long school year for the customers and nobody wants to throw money away buying tickets for that rubbish.
Much to do. Plenty of time to do it.
At lest Penny’s teams knew how to own the ruck area
At least Penny’s teams got to two H. Cup semi finals…
Sorry have to do this, you know because sport and all that #axelout
Honestly, what a disaster , no one at match , and no one there really cared , rugby rubbish , munster with no half backs , terrible
I feel it was a wrong step for Munster but now that he is there at least get behind your team. This is a World Cup season and we need our players playing with confidence. Unfortunately what’s happening at Munster and ulster is a huge disaster but it can be put right. Can’t see the European cup visiting ireland anytime soon but we do have a chance next sept/oct. Agree though that considering once upon a time 1.5 million people where in thomand in 78 to about. 6000 tonight. First game. Home game too. Too many fair weathers.
Have you ever been to a game? The majority of the crowds are from around the province. How can you expect people to turn up to Limerick for a game on Friday night from Cork, Waterford or Kerry? Allied to the fact that people are cutting back on games too and saving cash for the European games. They should be holding these games in Musgrave when it’s open again instead of playing in what looks like a dead crowd. Of course the crap standard doesn’t help either. How Duncan Williams is a pro player….standards have dropped big time.
Not a positive start, however I’m still optimistic.
Foley out. That’s all I have to say.
Very disappointed with ruck efficiency, especially clean out and ball presentation. In Williams defence he got a lot of messy slow ball. Some of the back play looked good. Worrying out muscled up front.
To be fair a hooker on a training contract, a 2nd choice prop. A debutant back rower. Was never going to be easy.
To put it into context this is nowhere near the worst performance ive seen. There were a few positives out there tonight.
Especially losing to a team that had 14 men for 20 minutes and conceding a try during on of those cards
Pro 12 is a training ground for Heineken cup – glorified friendlies
Watch Glasgow and leinster tomorrow night and you’ll see its not glorified friendlies at all, two of the best teams in the competition. Don’t know why munster had such a bad team out tonight albeit leinster and Glasgow aren’t at full strength but the teams they each will put out Is a lot better quality than what was on show tonight without taking anything away from a great result for Edinburgh.
Thought The Hino was consigned to history???
Leinster lost as well – results that are unthinkable in the Heineken cup happen regularly in the pro am 12 – how many scots or Welsh sides get to the last 8 of the h cup?
Murray, you had an article a few days ago describing how Munster intended to increase their attendances by having family zones outside the stadium. That’s fine and all, but ultimately if what goes on on the pitch is rubbish then that’s where we’ll lose fans. There was a decent attendance there last night but I wonder how many fans will think twice about coming next time after viewing that error ridden and disjointed performance?
Also, Duncan Williams should not be a professional rugby player.
Foley you need an out half ASAP and stop playing players out of position. It looked like tonight you’re not interested in the pro 12 and experimenting
Excuse me but does anyone else see a major problem in the scrum, this is where the foundation for good performances comes from and the Scottish team were lower then Munster and had total control in that area. Munster need to look more cohesive and joined together when scrummaging. My u14 second team could have held their own against that pack in the scrum last night.
It looked a lot like many Irish representative teams over the decades, trying to do flash stuff but it comes apart because somebody can’t pass two yards.
All round not good enough but why is Duncan Williams there? He is useless. Wat good is a scrum half that can’t pass the fn ball. It’s a disgrace that he is in the squad, he is not up to the standard and I can’t see him getting any better. Fn joke
Commercial and politcal naivety by axel. 1ST match with new management team at home ,supporters would want to see best available players. Subject to irfu guidelines. with solid experience and continuity to give us our best options for a win .. so a mediocre team is announced with newbies. No wonder attendance was low. That shows lack of respect to supporters and opposition. No surprise that our arse was handed back to us by Edinburgh.
Its essential to rotate and develop players but just not on the first match after such a major change. Axel and the old farts in the boardroom need to remember that munster only exists through its supporter base and last night needed to refect that else fringe support will drift and cash and sponsors will shrink . Its a new world lads, ppl initiated hc demise saw the end of any pretence around old values . This is business. the customer is king Strike 1.