FULL NAME: Claire Mary Margaret Hughes. No comment on the middle name!- BIRTHPLACE: Born in Galway. Grew up in The Neale/ Cong, Mayo. I went to college in Galway before spending a few years living in Limerick, Australia and Dublin, eventually returning to Galway in 2006.
- WHEN DID YOU JOIN GTC AND WHY? I joined GTC in 2022 as I was running solo and heard the club was a slightly unhinged bunch, which sounded right up my alley! I wanted a new challenge, especially swimming, which was by far my weakest discipline. The club has been very welcoming and supportive from day one and is still as unhinged as ever.
- OCCUPATION: Community Oncology Nurse. Fun fact: I studied Life, Business & Career Coaching along with Psychotherapy & Holistic Counselling in ATU. I’m also a qualified farmer… one of my proudest achievements! Club discounts available!!
- PREVIOUS SPORTS: I grew up playing GAA football morning, noon and night with my 5 brothers & 2 sisters. Since then I’ve enjoyed playing basketball, tag rugby, GAA for Mothers & Others and a bit of running, including a few half marathons that I did very little training for and suffered the consequences of!
- SWIM / BIKE / RUN – WHICH DO YOU PREFER AND WHY? As those who know me know, I have a love-hate relationship with running. So I’ll go with running as it requires the least amount of equipment, planning and mechanical knowledge! I love nothing more than a 5k run to clear the head.
- FAVOURITE EVENT OR PLACE TO TRAIN: The Salthill Prom on an summer morning or evening is hard to beat. As for events, it has to be the Malaga Half Marathon trip with a few of the club members last December…stunning scenery, a brilliant atmosphere and a great group of people.
- SPORTING CLAIM TO FAME: Being part of the Ballinrobe Community School team that won two senior football All-Ireland titles during the school’s historic five-in-a-row era. Completing my first sprint triathlon despite being terrified of open-water swimming is up there too!
- 3 MUSIC TRACKS THAT POWER YOUR TRAINING SESSIONS: Human – The Killers, Lose Yourself – Eminem and Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore
- YOUR ALL-TIME SPORTING HERO(ES) AND WHY? Cora Staunton. Playing football alongside her in secondary school and watching her go on to become one of the greatest ladies footballers of all time was impossible not to admire. Her work ethic, resilience and knowledge of the game are second to none. She has always represented Mayo and Ireland with pride and is now one of the greatest GAA pundits around.
- YOUR GTC HERO(ES) – AND WHY? Miriam Wall, Aideen Allen and Trish Strelioff. They are a fantastic source of encouragement, fun and motivation. Although I’m half afraid of Trish, I still want to be like her when I grow up! The volunteers, coaches and club members who give up their time week after week to organise sessions, encourage beginners and make everyone feel welcome are the heart and soul of GTC.
