This blog is just a simple place to put ideas, opinions and tell stories of life experiences meant to be shared with anyone who is interested in reading.

My Background

Born in Tralee Co. Kerry Ireland in 1979 to Delia and Fergus Foley, I spent the first 17 years of my life in Killorglin where I enjoyed sailing, playing with my brother Cian as a young girl and later Ultan and Liam, basketball as a young teenager and then rowing on the river in front of our house www.grovelodge.com

When I turned about 16 years old I started to take rowing “seriously” and I began to teach myself with the help of Michael Flemming and neighbouring clubs in Killarney how to row a single scull on the river Laune in front of my house. I was already quite strong from the summers of coastal rowing and I began to win domestic races. My main competitor was Sheila Clavin at that time. I had such a great time travelling around the country to regattas with my father who enjoyed the sociable rowing scene as much as I enjoyed competing.

Selected to the Irish Junior National team for 3 years, I culminated my junior rowing career with a under par summer in 1997 due to over-reaching and not structuring my race calendar to peak for the big races like the Coupe de la Jeunesse. Disappointed, I never made it to the Junior World Championships. But I was offered a full athletic scholarship from Boston University and I set sail for America in September 1997 to enter as a freshman in the College of General Studies at Boston University.

4 years of NCAA collegiate rowing ensued. Highlights included NCAA Championship qualification, top 6 finishes in Eastern Sprints, Indoor Rowing Championships CRASH B collegiate winner. I was voted two time All American athlete and MVP of the BU Womens Rowing team. Other highlights included fraternity parties as a freshman, a very active social life and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Philosophy to round it all off. During the summers I continued to race on the International world circuit as an U23 athlete and my best result was a 4th place at U23 World Championships in Copenhagen 2001.

After graduation I was encouraged to join Sinead Jennings (Irish LWT1x World Champion) to prepare for qualifying the lightweight double scull for the Athens Olympics. The next couple of years were really full of ups and downs. I never reached my full potential due to my own immaturity and a somewhat inconsistent structure to the national rowing team.  Although we had great support the management of the womens team left a lot to be desired and eventually I hung up my oars at a training camp in 2005.

I then spent the following years in Spain and Peru where I enjoyed surfing, teaching English and a healthy consistent social life (social activities while rowing were more or less restricted to post race or off season)

I returned to Ireland in 2008/2009 from Peru. Leaving a lot of friends, my “second” family and an ex-boyfriend behind, re-adjusting was difficult but I soon found my feet. On my return to Ireland I decided to try my hand at triathlon but I never quite made it that far and I was abducted by the adventure racing gang by ex-rowers Vanessa Lawrenson, Gearoid Towey and well-known athletes such as Eoin Keith and Chris Caulfield. I also took a position as Communications Manager for The Turas, an AR World Series race being run for the first time in Ireland and in my region.

Bitten by the bug – I began to train hard for adventure racing. I discovered mountain biking, kayaking and trail running and the combination of all three meant that AR was the perfect sport for me! I was asked to race with the top Irish Team (Irish AR Denny) and my first race was a horrific non-stop 32-hour called the Beast of Ballyhoura where we came a close second. Not a bad start!I also won the IMRA Corrantuathail Race (the highest mountain in Ireland) and a few other trail runs as well as other adventure races.

I then went back to college to study Public Relations and Communications and from there ended up in Zurich as there were better job prospects there and I figured being so close to the Alps would provide me with the lifestyle I have always dreamed of.

Since my move to Zurich I have progressed strongly as a multi-sport athlete. Winning or coming top 4 in most races, I also have the possibility to progress in my career at the same time, resulting in a very busy yet very fulfilling and rewarding life!