1. FULL NAME:
Sean Rooney
2. BIRTHPLACE:
Born in Cork (2 weeks), Galway (1984–2007), Dublin (2007–2023), Galway (2023–present).
3.WHEN DID YOU JOIN GTC AND WHY?
I joined GTC in 2023. I was already a seasoned triathlete and had been a member of 3D Triathlon Club in Dublin for about 10 years. I knew the benefits of being part of a club in terms of training, support and camaraderie, so when I moved back to Galway, joining GTC was an obvious choice.
4. OCCUPATION
Director of Product Management
5. PREVIOUS SPORTS
I played Gaelic football and soccer growing up, but it all fell away in my mid-teens. I picked up soccer again in my late 20s while living in Dublin, playing at a fairly low level in the UCFL. I somehow kept both soccer and triathlon going for about five years before eventually packing in the soccer.
6. SWIM / BIKE / RUN – which do you prefer and why?
Probably the run. It’s the last leg and I’m not the worst runner, so I can usually hold my own or move up a place or two.
I don’t really have a strongest discipline. Swimming used to be my weakest, but I’ve improved a lot since joining GTC and it’s now on par with the bike and run. We have great swim coaches and a lot of strong swimmers who have really brought me on.
7. FAVOURITE EVENT (CAN BE A SWIM/BIKE/RUN EVENT OR A TRIATHLON EVENT) OR FAVOURITE PLACE TO TRAIN?
The Heskin League swims. They’re so well run, everyone can compete regardless of level, there’s great banter and the odd pint of Guinness afterwards tastes extra nice after a few gulps of seawater. I also love that I can just walk down to Blackrock and race every Thursday over the summer.
8. SPORTING CLAIM TO FAME (Name any sporting achievement you are most proud of)
Competing in the amateur ETU Championships in Austria. Closely followed by an 8th place age group finish in Youghal in 2022, which qualified me for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Finland. The less said about how I actually performed at the Worlds, the better.
9. 3 MUSIC TRACKS THAT POWER YOUR TRAINING SESSIONS…
The Spotify algorithm is working overtime for me. My taste in music is all over the place, it could go from Otis Redding’s Mr. Pitiful, to The Killers’ Mr. Brightside, to Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back in Town.
10. YOUR ALL-TIME SPORTING HERO(ES) AND WHY?
You have to say Katie Taylor, don’t you? An obvious Irish sporting hero. Incredible work ethic, resilience and longevity, but what stands out most is her humility despite everything she’s achieved. She transformed women’s boxing while never seeming to lose sight of who she is or where she came from.
Ernest Shackleton is stretching the definition of sporting hero, maybe more of an endurance hero. His resilience, endurance and leadership when things went spectacularly off-plan are inspirational. And he was born and raised in Ireland until he was 10, so we can claim him as one of our own!
11. YOUR GTC HERO – AND WHY?
All the coaches. They’re not coaching a group of kids with similar abilities and goals; they’re working with adults across a huge range of abilities, ambitions and reasons for being there, and somehow finding a way to help each of us improve.
12. NAME A SONG OR FILM TITLE THAT SUMS YOU UP / OR YOUR APPROACH TO LIFE…
I watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles recently with my eldest. When I was younger, I thought Steve Martin’s character was a complete dick. Now I’m in my 40s, I see an uncomfortable amount of myself in him, aside from the shared resting bitch face. Driven, organised, impatient and frustrated when reality refuses to cooperate with the plan. But I can also relate to John Candy’s character’s ability to roll with the chaos. Between work travel, family life and still trying to do a bit of triathlon, that film feels pretty fitting these days.
