Leonora Kennedy: The road less travelled

I think the seed was planted when my dad pulled on the green Olympic jersey for the first time, back in 1976. To follow in my father's footsteps, and represent Ireland in the Olympic Games would have been a dream come true. But alas, that has come to an end... For now.
April, three years ago, I had successfully made it into the GB rowing team for the fifth year in a row, and was offered funding to train full time. I should have been overjoyed! Until this point I’d won an under 23 gold medal, a World University gold medal, a European bronze medal, and countless national and international medals, whilst studying and working. 
I was happy, but I had a niggling feeling inside me. 
My coach in London was moving to Cork to become the head coach of the Irish rowing team. This was my opportunity to do what I always wanted to do. One of the most difficult decisions of my life, leave some of my best friends to move to Cork where I knew no one. But, I had the opportunity to row for Ireland at the Olympics. 
In my heart of hearts this is what I always wanted.
My mum and I (with a few tears) packed up the car and drove from London to Cork. I stayed with a friend’s mum in Cork, and started training full time down at the National Rowing Centre. I had to finish in the top eleven at the World Rowing Championships that year in South Korea in order to be eligible for funding. 
We came tenth. So up until January 2014, my brother had been supporting me financially, and my friend’s mum was letting me live in her home for free.
I went through a rib injury from October 2013 to February 2014, and after reading “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell, I decided to use every training session on the indoor Watt bike as an opportunity to get me towards my goal. 
The longest in one session I did was three hours, whilst watching one very long movie! 2014 was a really positive season, I ended up getting a big personal best on the rowing machine, and I had won the pairs trials after not being in a boat for several months. 
The pair that was put together was myself and Lisa Dileen. 
We came fourth at the Europeans that year and eighth at the World Championships. We needed to be in the top 11 in the 2015 World Championships to qualify for Rio. But in February 2015, Lisa decided she didn’t want to row in a pair with me, but that she wanted to be in a double scull with the top sculler instead.
So, for the rest of the 2015 season I was put in a pair with Monika Dukarska which was not as fast as the pair with Lisa and myself. 
This year I was in a pair with Barbara O’Brien. Our first regatta was the first rowing World Cup in Varese, April 15-17. Leading up to this event we had been out of the boat due to Barbara having an injury for two weeks and then me having a tummy bug for a week. From the Varese regatta to the Olympic qualifiers there was only five weeks. 
By going to the regatta in Varese we would have gained a lot more from racing at international level against the crews who would be at qualifiers than we would have done training on our own back in Cork.
We were 15th overall in Varese. In the final, we were a significant margin behind 14th place Ukraine. Barbara and I didn’t race badly in the final, we did what we could with the tools we had.
Despite the disruption that Barbara and I had had in the lead up to this most recent event, I felt that we should have been further up in the field, we were a significant margin behind the top crews that would be at the qualifiers. 
From our times in training Barbara and I didn’t have that speed, and not even for a shorter distance were our speeds up to standard. With this knowledge, and my previous experience of international racing I knew that we weren’t going to be fast enough to qualify so I felt I had to make a decision. 
Continue rowing knowing that we weren’t fast enough or after years of hard work and commitment stop and end my dream. In the grand scheme of things I realise this isn’t a life threatening decision, but for me it was a big deal.
I couldn’t continue knowing that we were significantly off the pace with very little time to change it. So, I have decided to take a break from rowing for the time being, and am transitioning into the ‘real world’.
During the year I applied to two universities to do graduate physiotherapy, and I will hear whether I will get into those courses at the end of May. I am also putting some research into some other areas of work I could go into. 
I don’t know whether I will row again, but in the mean time I am cycling, and spending some time in the gym to stay in shape. I am planning on doing a cycle race for charity during the summer in place of my Rio Olympics. It’s not the same, but it’s a new goal and for a good cause.
My dad gave me one of his green Olympic blazers the other day. I would never dream of wearing it (not only because it is huge, but also because I didn’t earn it), but I will cherish it, and appreciate the sentiment and reason as to why he gave it to me. I may not have walked in his footsteps exactly, but I have had an incredible journey through out my rowing career.
My parents and family have been some of my biggest supporters. Not only have they been part of my emotional support group, but my parents and my brother Michael have financially supported me throughout the years. I have to thank them for being so patient, positive and enthusiastic during my journey. 
Without them and the rest of my family I’m not sure where I’d be or what I’d be doing! The Fermanagh Recreational Trust have also been extremely generous, having that helping hand has sent me to numerous competitions, so thank you to them. 
Enniskillen Rowing Club, which was then amalgamated with Portora Boat Club, I am very thankful for their ongoing support. I am also very thankful for the Lakeland Forum for allowing me to use the gym when I am at home, and also the people of Enniskillen and Fermanagh, it is a joy to return home. 
From the kids in the boat club to people I meet up the town or in the gym, their support has been amazing, I’d like to thank you all for your continued support.
Since moving to Cork, I have made some life long friends... one in particular, in March next year will be my husband! Aidan has stood beside me through the highs, the lows, and the rollercoaster of emotions. He’s not my rock, he’s my boulder. When Lisa decided she didn’t want to row with me anymore, one of the first emails that my dad sent me will stay with me for a long time. 
It ended: “In any case, the big lad [Aidan] is always there and that may be the biggest prize of all!” With that, I’d like to thank Aidan for everything, the laughter, the hugs, the shoulder to cry on, the positivity, and the support. There are no amount of medals that could replace him!