Athlete

Physical Education, Sport Studies - St Mary's University: London, ENG

English

Douglas Gymnastics Club: Cork, IRL

Andy Smith [club]

His father Jeffrey was a professional ballet dancer, who performed with the Cork City Ballet in Ireland. (irishexaminer.com, 10 Aug 2022)

He practised ballet before switching to gymnastics. "I was quite small but a very bouncy and active kid. I don't think I really took to ballet so they brought me to lots of sports, like gymnastics with Douglas GC and athletics [Leevale Athletics Club]. If school needed someone for the football team I'd be straight in there too, I loved lots of sports."

He trains at the National Gymnastics Training Centre in Dublin, Ireland.

In 2021 he received a special recognition award from Gymnastics Ireland for his performance on the international circuit that year. (gymnasticsireland.com, 24 Nov 2021

CAREER BREAK AND RETURN
In 2019, while studying at St Mary's University in England, he decided to quit gymnastics due to injuries and the demands of his degree. He then started working as a school teacher and gymnastics coach, before returning to Ireland after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. He started training again once the Douglas Gymnastics Club was open again following lockdown, and began competing in some minor tournaments. In 2021 he decided he would start training seriously following encouragement from coach Andy Smith, and in November that year he won gold on rings at the Northern European Championships in Cardiff, Wales. "Why did I ever stop? I love this. COVID-19 turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As soon as I landed my final dismount [in Cardiff, Wales] I remember thinking, 'This is amazing'. I'd forgotten this feeling. I was just so happy, winning a medal off four months training. I was all guns blazing again." (irishexaminer.com, 10 Aug 2022)