SARAH LAVIN FEELS like she is in round two of her career path but, crucially, she’s enjoying every step of the journey.
It wasn’t always the case. Having dealt with the weight of expectation and pressure since running competitively for the first time – and winning – at under nine level, Lavin has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous sporting fortune across the past few years.
In 2013, she looked like a sprint hurdler simply destined for the big time. She was a European U-20 silver medallist, Irish U-20 record holder and, because she was faster than Derval O’Rourke at the same age, comparisons between the two flew.
Adidas swooped in for a deal, she was one of only four female junior athletes worldwide to be chosen, and it seemed like the planets would align once the step up to adult ranks was made.
When the good times came her way – and they came quite often – the Limerick native never got carried away but instead found that she became more obsessive about the sport in an attempt to keep the successes coming. That, allied to injury, disrupted her career.
In truth, it disrupted her life.
At the 2014 European finals in Zurich, 2014, Lavin travelled to her first major senior championship in absolutely splendid form having clocked a personal best of 13.23 earlier that summer. But she finished eighth in her heat in 13.35. Last place.
The fall was brutal.
By the time 2016 swung around it looked like it was curtains for her. She was in decline. Burnt out.
“Looking back there were lots of tears,” she says.
“I was dealing with pressure from the age of nine. I have a great coach in Noelle Morrissey and a rock-solid family, but from a structural viewpoint there was a lack of a mentor, someone to tell me and others representing Ireland what we were doing wrong.
“You have no idea how hard I trained but as I went and transitioned from junior to senior ranks it just didn’t happen for me.
“It made sense at the time. I was clinical about my diet, 100% on my sleep – everything revolved around athletics because it was all I wanted to do,” she says.
Looking back now she says she pushed her body to breaking point. Her weight dropped to 57kg, and it didn’t suit her. She wanted to be in race shape all of the time.
She over-worked but felt under-cooked. Her body changed and she lacked the zip that had helped her make her name.
The successes of 2013 when she landed Junior Track and Field European Championships in the 100m hurdles, seemed light years away.
So too were the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2012 and the bronze she took home from the 2011 European Youth Olympics.
As she stepped into her 20s she wondered what was next.
“I wasn’t happy – on or off the track,” she says.
“I was studying physiotherapy at UCD and one adult said to me; “What sort of a physio will you make when you are always injured?”
“I couldn’t believe stuff like that being said. My fire had been bright but I could see it was burning out.”
She took some time to gather her thoughts, leaned on her parents, and her coach.
Deep down, however, the solution lay within.
“When all was said and done, and when I sat back to try and sort myself out there was the realisation that I had talent,” she says.
“It was like, all of this may seem to be slipping away from me, but the bottom line is I have a talent and it is still there.
“I suppose I started trusting myself and listening to my body. And those closest to me. Like, my parents were always on to me to enjoy college and let my hair down a little but if anything I had trained even harder.
But I wasn’t the first junior to burn out and make mistakes and even now I feel that while we are very successful at underage level we are not transferring that success to the senior international stage.
“A mentor is badly needed in this regard because the transition is hard and we all make the same mistakes over and over again – I would like someone to ask why is that?”
She is back on track now, currently the Irish Junior record holder in both the 60m hurdles (8.36) and the 100m hurdles (13.34), breaking the previous records held by European Outdoor silver medallist Derval O’Rourke.
And the comparisons to Derval have thankfully stopped.
“I was 13 years younger than Derval when those comparisons started,” she smiles. “That’s how ridiculous they were.”
Last weekend Lavin finished fourth at the World University Games and O’Rourke was one of the first to make contact.
“Derval contacted me saying how great it was to be in the top four of any worldwide competition and that’s how I see it too,” Lavin adds.
“The next step now is the Irish Life Health National Finals at the end of this month (27 and 28 July). They are huge in terms of me qualifying for Tokyo and even though I don’t want to put any more pressure on myself, every athlete at this level wants to be at the Olympics and they are telling you a fib if they say they don’t.
“The Irish Life Health event is crucial for me and a chance to see if I can accumulate additional points in trying to qualify for 2020.”
It’s been some journey back from the brink for the 25 year-old. A journey that is nowhere near ending.
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I wonder if Ramos will issue an apology to the fans too
@samstheman: Are you still banging on about Ramos
@samstheman: yizzer never gonna let that go are yiz??
@John Connolly: are you still banging on John?
@Brian Dunne: let what go? The man got himself suspended on purpose for this game & his team concedes 4 goals & gets dumped out of the competition.
@samstheman: I sure am
@John Connolly: you go girl. Knock yourself out
@samstheman: Its been almost a year since Ramos took care of Salah and you just can’t let it go,imagine how bitter you’ll be win Man City win the league
@John Connolly: it’s plainly obvious with that post you’re the bitter one John. Why bring Liverpool into it? What has that got to do with this? As I told you the other night I’m also a Barcelona fan. Have been to plenty of games there & been to the city loads too I love the place. Besides Ramos isn’t a very popular figure with many football fans.
I suggest with your attitude you find some place nice to go & take a week or 10 days for yourself
@samstheman: Ha ha ha ha,you sound as bad a Klopp with your desperate excuses
@samstheman: Ha ha ha ha,you sound as bad as Klopp with your desperate excuses
@John Connolly: bitter boy. As well as OGS has done since he’s come in. You can even bring yourself to comment on his work. You spend all your time on Liverpool threads or on threads nothing to do with Liverpool but still bring them into it. Says plenty about you Johnny but as I’ve said before it’s best summed up as you being bitter end of story
@samstheman: keep on digging that hole for yourself,why did you bring Man Utd into it,you’re obsessed with them
@John Connolly: to highlight how completely sad you are John. A united fan who only posts Liverpool related content
@John Connolly: Do you think Ramos made the right decision getting himself banned for last night’s match?
@samstheman: You’re the one who brought up Man Utd
@The Bloody Nine: Of course not but even if he was playing Madrid probably still would have lost
@John Connolly: so why are you having this pointless argument with someone you agree with?
@The Bloody Nine: Because he has been harping on about Ramos since the champions league final last year
@John Connolly: go ahead and post what I said in relation to the champions league final John? Or I could save you the trouble, I said Bales goal was good enough to win any final. Liverpool weren’t good enough. Obviously it was a while ago, so if you have any proof of my making any reference to Ramos other than last week, fire it up there. Thanks.
@samstheman: Are you trying to convince me or convince yourself that you’re still bitter over Ramos,that’s why no one wants Liverpool to win anything when all the sh@te ye talk
@John Connolly: that’s fine John if you could show where I’ve been banging on about Ramos for a year I’d appreciate that. Thanks pal
Real Madrid and Amazing fans in the same sentence…. ffs.. laughable
I’m sorry ye are such bellends, he should have said.!!
Madrid are falling to pieces. Chelsea are the real winners though – cant see Hazard going to that team
@John:
Doubt he’d stay at Chelsea either.
@John: PSG it is so