Ireland may not be a medal powerhouse like the US, Jamaica, or Great Britain, but Kate O’Connor might slowly be changing that. The athlete clinched silver in the women’s heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships, Ireland’s first medal in 12 years! Coming back from injury, O’Connor fought every step of the way, with her coaches, Tom Reynolds and Dave Sweeney, by her side, guiding her journey. This moment isn’t just about her achievement; it’s a reminder of the dedication behind the scenes. As Irish athletics continues to rise, it’s high time the coaches who shape these athletes get their fair share of recognition, and O’Connor’s medal might just be a step in that direction.

Funding has always been a challenge for Irish Athletics, leaving the country trailing behind international competition. If we were to look at it from a traditional lens, then the sport has leaned heavily on the dedication of unpaid, volunteer coaches to drive world-class performances. After decades, the sports association has come forward to reveal a support package for the coaches. Sport Ireland has approved a €610,000 support package spread over four years to strengthen high-performance coaching.

The announcement comes amid growing frustration among top coaches over delays in this year’s funding—the last payment occurred a year ago—while Irish athletes have long highlighted the need for stronger financial support for those guiding them to success. Speaking up for the coaches, World Athletics silver medalist Kate O’Connor added, “doing it because they love the sport and they love us, not because they’re getting any money from it. It’s gotten a lot better. But it still needs to get a lot, lot better.”

O’Connor has cemented herself as one of the greatest athletes to have stepped out of Ireland. This year alone, she has won four major medals. Bronze at the European Indoors, silver at the World Indoors, gold at the World University Games, and silver at the World Championships. She has achieved all of these despite having minimal financial support from her father and coach, Michael, who also works as a teacher in Dundalk.

It seems a change is on the horizon, as the administration has announced, “invested to support our dual strategy of supporting those coaches who are already making an invaluable contribution to the ongoing success of Irish athletics on the international stage, while simultaneously investing in the direct employment of coaches. Investing its own financial resources above and beyond the funds committed by Sport Ireland to place world-class coaching at the center of everything we do. In line with this, Athletics Ireland will soon be recruiting several coaching roles across various disciplines.”

Athletics Ireland confirmed that it had received assurance from Sport Ireland that the transfer of funds is “imminent, after which all coach support payments will be made.” Moving forward, the organization plans to finalize coach funding packages in the fourth quarter of the preceding year. O’Connor added that increased investment “would bring on the sport, it would bring on the athletes – a little bit of incentive for people.” 

With such an amount, the sports might have a new revival, but will it be able to produce world-class athletes? Well, O’Connor believes it would, and guess what, she is looking forward to breaking records herself as well.

Kate O’Connor is hungry for more after Tokyo’s Silver medal

Kate O’Connor capped a remarkable comeback from her knee injury by enjoying the high point of her career in the simplest way. Earning a silver medal at the heptathlon, she marked the first medal for Ireland since 1995. As the excitement settled, she treated herself to a slice of pizza, celebrating history in her own way. “We came home, and a load of the athletes were going out, but I just decided that I wanted to stay in. We ordered four large pizzas and we had a couple of drinks at the hotel,” O’Connor told BBC Sport.

O’Connor has had a tremendous year so far, collecting multiple medals—but is she satisfied with them? Certainly not. “I think that right now, it’s probably put my feet up and chill for a little while but I’m looking forward to competing and pushing myself on. I definitely plan on doing both, Commonwealths and Europeans and a couple more medals definitely would be lovely,” she added.

Having achieved a remarkable year this season, the sky is truly the limit for her. Alongside her coaches, including her father, she is planning big for her next ste[s. Time will tell whether she continues to advance, but regardless, what are your thoughts on the athlete?