Marcus O’Sullivan And The Unlikely Path To Athletic Greatness

What is the X factor? When everyone competing in an activity has talent, what is the extra bit that takes one person above and beyond? Irish athletics legend Marcus O'Sullivan might be one of the best qualified people in the world to unravel this. For almost a quarter of a century he has been the head track and field coach at Villanova University and in charge of spotting talented kids who might just have that extra something. He sits down with Jarlath to discuss his own incredible journey from making sails in Kinsale to electrifying the crowds at Madison Square Garden with his infamous final kick.  Marcus discusses the importance of getting comfortable with failure, the philosophy of cheating, technological advances in athletics, the impact Donie Walsh's mentorship had on him, the Irish running boom and of course, his most astonishing achievement - 101 sub 4 minute mile races. This is a one of a kind in-depth conversation with one of the true unsung heroes and early influencers of Irish sport. To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad Supplementary research provided by John Meagher. Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation. For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected]. Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.