The Brick Q and A Session – Deirdre Kelly

  1. FULL NAME
    Deirdre Kelly
  2. BIRTHPLACE: And name other places you have lived
    Anamar, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh. I have also lived in the UK, France, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman.
  3. WHEN DID YOU JOIN GTC AND WHY?
    2025. I fell into triathlon by accident. Someone in the Gentle Swimmers group suggested we do a Try a Tri. I joined GTC in order to train for it.People were so encouraging that I completely forgot everyone had a sporting background except me! 😳
  4. OCCUPATION
    Teacher of English, mostly abroad.
  5. PREVIOUS SPORTS
    Apart from basic tennis, almost none. Perhaps the most unusual thing about my sporting life is that it began in my mid-sixties!
  6. SWIM / BIKE / RUN: Which do you prefer and why?
    Swim. Dreaming of turquoise seas and golden sand. Dreams don’t always come true!
  7. FAVOURITE EVENT
    Lough Cutra, when my family are there.A close second was swimming the Corrib in a relay for Tribesman 2026. It felt good to be part of a team.
  8. SPORTING CLAIM TO FAME: Name any sporting achievement you are most proud of
    Winning the GTC Beginner of the Year 2025 Trophy. What a shock!Also, recently completing the Heskin League 1200m swim with club members. Once, that seemed so out of reach!
  9. THREE MUSIC TRACKS THAT POWER YOUR TRAINING SESSIONS
    I try to detach from the phone when outside, but occasionally I listen to podcasts.
  10. YOUR ALL-TIME SPORTING HEROES AND WHY?My nephew, Colm Caherty. He gives 110% to every event and has kept going through good times and bad 👏👏👏.

  11. YOUR GTC HERO, AND WHY?
    There are so many dedicated people that it is almost impossible to choose. H
    owever, there are those who can coach all levels. They can create that magic combination of carrot and stick.For me, those were Miriam Wall and Aideen Allen.Also, all those athletes, gifted themselves, who say the quiet “Keep going!” as they speed past the rest of us.
  12. A FILM OR SONG THAT SUMS UP YOUR APPROACH TO LIFE
    I know it is unfashionably sentimental, but it has to be Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World.