RTE Olympic star details inspirational effect of 'raw and emotional' interviews with Irish stars

Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley gave emotional reactions to their on-track heroics in highly-praised interviews with David Gillick.

David Gillick reckons Ireland’s Olympic stars captured the hearts of the nation - and inspired future generations of athletes - with their heroics both on and off the track.

Former sprinter Gillick was “overwhelmed” by the reaction to his trackside interviews, but was quick to deflect the praise towards the people on the other side of the microphone.

Their “raw” and “emotional” interviews were huge talking points during the Games.

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“Everyone is talking about Rhasidat (Adeleke), everyone is talking about Sharlene (Mawdsley), they are all household names now and that’s fantastic,” Gillick told Fitter Happier.

“Even on a grassroots level, all the clubs are swelled with members. You can’t get into clubs because of waiting lists. My own club, Dundrum South Dublin, has over 1,000 members.

“I think the reality is the exposure really helps. They are getting headlines, they are winning medals at Europeans, going into the Olympics, making major finals. It was front page, back page stuff.

“I think in any sport you need stars and right now in athletics you have a number of people who off the track carry themselves really well.

“You see Rhasidat there on the Late Late and she is there on her own, she is a star in her own right, and it’s great. It’s fantastic for kids to be able to look up and see these people on TV. You had the Diamond League on Irish TV and you have the Europeans on Irish TV, and then obviously the Olympics.

“Over the last few years there has been some momentum behind the sport, creating headlines and stories.

“The other thing I’d say, the interviews going back to Paris, it’s great because they were raw, they were emotional, they were honest. I think that resonated with people back at home.

“I’m not bashing other sports but how many times have you watched mainstream sports - rugby, soccer and GAA, and you can’t really see that raw emotion that often. But when the Olympics came around, that’s what we saw in abundance and I think it’s refreshing.”

Gillick was delighted with the praise he received for his interview style.

“It’s a bit overwhelming, to be honest. You go over to do a job and you don’t expect to be going back to all the plaudits,” he said. “But look, it’s lovely. It shows the amount of people who tuned in and watched it all.

“For me, it wasn’t about getting a medal at times, it was the whole story, and that’s something I tried to do in the interviews, put a bit of context around what that performance might have meant for that individual. For many of them, qualifying and getting through a round is essentially their gold medal. It’s about highlighting that.”

Gillick was speaking in his role as parkrun ambassador as part of their efforts, along with partners Vhi, to highlight the fact that October is World Mental Health Month.

He has already seen numbers grow at his own local parkrun post-Olympics.

“I can tell you, even the junior parkrun, the numbers are really strong. I think there is that positivity. My little girl Olivia absolutely loves it,” he said. “She got presented with her marathon band last week, so she has done a marathon distance now.

“You can see more kids getting involved and parents becoming aware of it, getting their kids out off the back of what they’ve seen on TV. The numbers have been strong and I think it’s that overall thing of, there are not that many barriers to running. You can go out and run and it’s all free, and no one is really judging you.

“When I watch kids running, it reminds me of why I got into running. It’s that freedom. It’s just highlighting that to people, letting them know what’s on their doorstep.”

Gillick added that being at the Olympics in his media role gave him “such a buzz.”

“You never lose that element where you wish you were out there yourself. I don’t think that will ever go away,” he said. “But I am very comfortable where I’m at now. I got a massive sense of pride when the Irish came out on the track in Paris and got an unbelievable roar.

“Again, it’s the case of the Irish coming over and supporting them. A lot of people did come over and support them, and that shows where athletics is at right now.

“The final of the women’s 4x400 relay was great, because we actually had four women competing at the very top. The strength in depth is phenomenal. It’s rare that you get an Irishperson into an Olympic final, so to have the strength and depth to get four there shows how far we’ve come.

“To have something like that on the final night of the athletics was great.”

# parkrun partners Vhi have conducted a survey of parkrunners in Ireland to better understand the event’s mental health benefits - as part of October’s World Mental Health Month activities.

Over half (55.2 percent) of those surveyed said the main reason they participate in parkrun is to improve their mental health.

A resounding 97.2 percent of participants said parkrun has had a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.

Other findings include:

• 41.7 percent say it has given them a more positive outlook on life

• 40 percent say parkrun helps them switch off and de-stress

• 89 percent say that the opportunity parkrun gives them to experience nature positively affects their mood and mental wellbeing

• And 33 percent say participating in parkrun has given them more confidence.

Parkruns are free to take part in and take place every Saturday morning at 110 locations across Ireland, while 40 junior parkruns take place on Sundays mornings over a 2km course for those aged 4-14 years and their families.

To find your nearest parkrun visit the official parkrun website.

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