Rob Heffernan Interview
Reproduced by permission of Cork Independent
This article, by Louise Cashell, Cork Independent, appeared in the Cork
Independent on November 5th 2015
World Champions! Sonia O'Sullivan, Rob Heffernan & Derval O'Rourke
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'The amount of abuse I got
was unreal after Zurich'
It
has been a mixed 12 months for race walker Rob Heffernan.
After enduring a disappointing European Championships in Zurich in
2014, Rob returned to the international platform in Beijing in August
to defend his world title.
After a year of bitter lows, was this Rob's chance for a year high?
Coming in at fifth place, onlookers may have perceived the result to be
a disappointment, considering Heffernan had placed first just two years
ago, but from his own perspective, the World Championships was the
first successful step in the Road to Rio 2016.
"The year before Beijing, I was a bit depressed. I was very
uncomfortable after that race, I wanted to just go away and not talk to
anyone. The position I'm in, in the public eye, I guess people expect a
response from you”
"Why did that happen? I didn't want to respond, I didn't think it was a
mental thing...I had done everything right in the lead-up to that race,
my head was in a good place.
"If I came out afterwards and said I felt it was an injury, people
would just say it was an excuse but as it turned out I actually was
injured. I knew there was something up, I had two hernias. That was a
relief to be honest. If it had been a mental thing, that would have
been far more difficult to overcome. I can take injuries, so this year
has been about my recovery and getting back on track."
Going from dropout one year, to placing so close to a medal finish the
next, for Heffernan, was invaluable.
"Fifth place in Beijing was the equivalent of a Gold to me, to be
honest. Coming from where I had, the amount of abuse I got was unreal
after Zurich. People were saying things about me, people were saying I
was a bottler. It wasn't nice and all I could think was 'why?' I barely
came out of the house for a few months after. I just didn't want to, I
was so disappointed with everything.
"Now, having said that, the abuse was only a very small percentage of
the messages I got.”
"We love our sport here in Cork and the amount of goodwill and well
wishes I get off people is unbeliveable. Whether I'm training, or
people spot me out and about, people always have a good word.
"I think that's the nice thing about Cork, people are so friendly, so
when there is an athlete who is doing well, everyone gets on board. The
flip of that then is that there's an expectation on you. When you know
everyone is invested and wants you to do well and you don't, it's very
hard to take.”
"I think that's why Beijing was such a breakthrough for me, I felt good
going in to it but didn’t want to say too much.
Mentally and physically, things were good so to get back and do that
well was just brilliant. I'm qualified now for Rio so my life will
revolve around that from here until next summer."
Rob will be 38 by the time he steps off the plane in Brazil. It will be
his fifth Olympic games, the previous four have proved fruitless on the
medal front with an agonisingly close fourth place finish in London
2012 proving to be Heffernan's greatest Olympic result to-date.
Between the 20km and 50km walks, Rob has finished 38th, endured a
disqualification and recorded an eighth place finish in 2008, before
London's so-close-you-could-touch-it finishing place. If Heffernan’s
career was a graph, he’s surely about to reach the top of the upward
curve?
“November is the month I always traditionally begin my Olympics
training, so this is it now, I'm going at it. I start off doing 10km a
week and I'll increase that to 20km next week, 30km the week after and
so on before getting up to 100km before Christmas.
"Realistically, do I think I have a hope of a medal? Absolutely. It's
all about getting the logistics correct. Marian (Rob's wife, a retired
Olympic athlete) is my coach but she has too much on her plate so we're
looking at getting another coach on board. It takes a while to get in
to the full swing of things but this is just the beginning. It's hectic
but I love it."
Rio 2016 takes place from 5-21 August; giving Heffernan nine months of
training - the majority of which, he says, will be done in Ireland.
"I like training at home, it's a good place to do it. I have an
altitude tent in the house so I sleep in that. I'm competing in Russia
in May and I'll take the year as it comes. If the weather isn't good
I'll do a few weeks in warm weather here and there but for the most
part, I'll be at home.
"Again, living in Cork the support I get really drives me on. I guess
with the kids (Meghan, aged 12; Cathal, aged 10; Regan, 21 months and
Tara, seven months) the two older ones are mad into sport and I like to
go to as much as I can, whether it's racing or soccer or whatever, I
get very involved. Marian keeps me straight though. I’m a very
emotional, passionate person but she tells me straight and I just won’t
have for as much in the next few months as I'd like. All for a good
reason though, I'm where I want to be."
Rob Heffernan was speaking at Fota Island Resort Hotel where he and
Marian were presented with a brand, new seven-seater Nissan X-Trail
after they were named as brand ambassadors for Nissan.
Cork Athletics Webmaster's Editorial Comment
I have only the greatest admiration for our sportsmen and women,
who make massive personal sacrifices to represent our country. It takes
a special type of person to dedicate years of determination and effort,
at consideable personal sacrifice, to reach the levels attained, in
recent years, by the likes of Rob Heffernan, Derval O'Rourke, Sonia
O'Sullivan and Olive Loughnane, to name but a few. Besides those
named we have countless other Cork natives and residents who have all
worn the Irish singlet with honour and distinction.
Considering what I have said in the previous paragraph, it is
disappointing to hear that a minority ...whose primary exercise is
probably to press a button on the remote..denigrate the efforts and
performances of our athletes. We, in Cork, have been priviliged and
honoured that so many Cork athletes, along with several Cork
"adoptees" have led Cork to 'punch above it's weight', in terms
of World and European Championship Winners. There can be only one
winner in a championship. Yes we share in the joy when 'we'
win one. Equally we should feel and empathise when our athletes
fail to live up to their own, and our, hopes, aspirations and dreams.
All deserve nothing less than our very greatest respect, admiration and
thanks. Finally to paraphrase author Christy Brown, speaking on 'The Late Late' "<expletive deleted> the begrudgers!"