1. Full name
Aoife Lowery
2. Birthplace (and other places you have lived)
Galway – a proud Galway woman and very much a homebird!
However, medical training means a fair bit of moving around, so I’ve also lived in Mayo, Dublin, Marseille in France, a brief stint in Essen in Germany, Limerick, and finally back to Galway since 2017.
3. When did you join GTC and why?
I joined for a short period back in 2008 and did the aquathon series and a couple of triathlons. I actually met my husband Lorcán at the Athlone Triathlon that year! 🙂
But then work and life got in the way, so it wasn’t until September 2025 that I rejoined.
The reason for joining this time was a forced end to my running. I had been training for the Dublin City Marathon last year, which I was doing to support the breast cancer charity NBCRI, but my dodgy knee had other ideas unfortunately.
Having been told that running was off the cards for the foreseeable future, I figured I’d better get in the pool and/or on the bike and needed some structured training.
A friend recommended the coached swim sessions with GTC, so I signed up!
4. Occupation
Consultant Surgeon.
I work predominantly with BreastCheck, the National Breast Cancer Screening Service, treating patients who need surgery for breast cancer.
In addition to clinical work, I also work on the breast cancer research programme at the University of Galway.
5. This week, GTC is celebrating Swim in Pink Week. As someone directly involved in breast cancer research, can you tell us a little about the work funded by the National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI) and how money raised through events like Swim in Pink helps patients?
Swim in Pink is a fantastic event which raises funds for the National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI).
NBCRI is a national charity based in Galway that funds breast cancer research at the University of Galway. Its mission is to fund research that leads to better treatments and outcomes for people with breast cancer.
My research team receives support from NBCRI, which we have used to fund research staff such as nurses, along with equipment and infrastructure.
This helps us open more breast cancer clinical trials at University Hospital Galway, giving patients local access to promising new diagnostic and treatment approaches, as well as studies investigating how to improve quality of life during and after cancer treatment.
Every euro raised for NBCRI goes directly towards research that makes a real difference to patients in the West of Ireland and beyond, so it is really great to see GTC support this charity.
For more information on the research, visit breastcancerresearch.ie.
6. Previous sports
Running, swimming and a bit of basketball.
7. Favourite event
Has to be the Heskin League!
I’ve done it for the past few years and really enjoy the buzz at Blackrock on a Thursday evening. It’s a fun and friendly event, with enough competition to keep things interesting, even if it’s mostly my own time from the previous Thursday that I’m competing with!
8. Sporting claim to fame
I have no sporting claim to fame, but I have learned this year that there are loads of brilliant open water swimming events!
The frustration of not being able to do the marathon motivated me to sign myself up, and recruit some teammates, for a few swims this year, including:
- The Colonia Classic 5K at BestFest in Mallorca.
- The Galway Bay Swim as a relay with my sister.
- The Castle-to-Castle Swim as a relay with two of my oldest friends.
- The GSC Prom Swim for the first time since I was 13!
Although swimming is often considered a solo sport, it is most definitely a social sport when you can drag family and friends along to do it with you!
9. Three music tracks that power your training sessions
Depends on the mood – often rock, sometimes pop, and if it’s a longer, slower training session, then a podcast does the trick.
10. Your all-time sporting heroes and why?
For sport as entertainment and bringing people together, this has to be the Irish soccer team of Italia ’90!
They gave those of us who were kids at the time the best summer of soccer matches, eating ice cream, fizzy drinks, and the whole country cheering them on.
From Packie Bonner’s penalty save to David O’Leary’s goal, Jackie’s Army, Olé Olé Olé – magic times!!
11. Who are your GTC heroes and why?
The Friday morning 6am Ocean Fitness swim crew kept me going all through the winter with those early morning starts – Laura’s brilliant and sometimes killer sessions!
