Darragh Greene – Longford Olympian, Late Blooming, & Restting Goals – EP159!

Darragh Greene is an Irish professional swimmer from Longford. He was the first Irish athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics and will compete in the 100 meter and 200 meter breaststroke at the games.In this one we cover a lot of ground and I was very keen to get an understanding of the focus, commitment, dedication and sacrifices that Darragh has made to get to the level he’s now at. As he says himself, he’s a late bloomer and if he keeps up the rate at which his improving and continues to shave off milliseconds and keep breaking his PBs, then he’ll be in serious contention next summer when the games come around.I’ve listed below a summary of our conversation. Enjoy this one, folks.Summary:Moving from hard training to stopping due to COVI19Preparing for the Irish trials but stoppedPre-validation at world championshipsTargeting 8 swimmers for Ireland at this OlympicsWhy did Darragh specialise in swimming – after breaking his leg lead him to thisWhy Swimming?How big of an influence your dad was? (tried to get you to play in goals?)Other influences growing up?When did you start to see there could be something in it?What was your approach like then?Where are you on natural talent v working hard?Taking other sports as distractions away leadInfluencers growing up coaches like Donal O’NeillBeing a late bloomer in swimmingBen Higson as another influencerGoing all inWas there always a high-level of discipline?Sacrifices were key to start making progressOnce moved to the National Aquatic centre in Dublin made a big differenceSetting goals and achieving them within 10 weeks for the yearBreaking the Irish recordGaining self-belief and confidenceSetting the goal to be the first Irish man to break 60 secondsSetting big and mini-goalsMeasuring every session with goalsThe mental side of sport, tools and approaches used?Loving the buzz of competition and rising to the occasion in real events v trainingDealing with what comes your way and having to deal with it the best!Changing techniques, changing fundamentals of the stroke, making tweaksUsing Video Analysis, sports scienceWorking with Jan Olbrecht & bringing much more science to the trainingTesting off lactate levels against times and using algorithmsDealing with injuries and how to overcome themWorking on core, mobility, and using Yoga and Pilates to help with flexibilityIndividual performance v teamworkHours spent swimming on an average daySwimming and working on retaining the mind focused during the swims when they need to swim for 5kmKeeping technique in focus for the long sessions – how does Darragh keep this?Breaking up the 5km into smaller sections and chunksDealing with Nerves and StressPreparation & keeping coolPre-race rituals and routinesUsing Caffeine v other energy drinksWhen bursting onto the scene, having a surprise factor and having nothing to losePerforming better in some pools than others with Rome as Darragh’s favourite venueTaking part in competitions internationallyLonger term plans – after Tokyo and beyond?A passion for staying in professional sport after swimming?The International Swimming League (ISL) and interest for the futureSetting goals for 2021, Tokyo and aiming for a second swim with a lifetime best!Follow Darragh on Twitter at @GreeneDarraghThanks for listening!Rob