The Brick Q and A Session – Carrie Budds

  1. FULL NAME
    Carrie Budds
  2. BIRTHPLACE (and name other places you have lived)
    Youghal, Co. Cork.

    I have lived in Limerick, Cork City, Germany, France, Dubai and, of course, Galway.

  3. WHEN DID YOU JOIN GTC AND WHY?
    I joined GTC in 2022 to train for Ironman Youghal in August 2023. I had completed a few shorter triathlon events by myself and realised quickly that I would need support to train for this, so I signed up.

    It was the first time as an adult that I had joined a sports club. I remember going to the new members’ evening and everyone was so friendly. I thought, “I’ve definitely made the right decision.”

  4. OCCUPATION
    I have had a lot of jobs in my lifetime (I’m on my fourth since joining GTC!), but I currently work as a Health Promotion & Improvement Officer with the HSE.
  5. PREVIOUS SPORTSI have been running since my mid-twenties and I enjoy strength training. As a child and teenager, I did some GAA, martial arts and badminton, but stopped when I was around 16, until I started running again.

    I also played soccer for a few years with GUST Galway in the 2000s and did some surfing.

    I have always been a “give it a go” type of person when it comes to sports. I can sum up my athletic prowess by telling you that I was given the “Most Dedicated” award by my soccer teammates in 2008 – my commitment far exceeds my abilities! 😀

  6. FAVOURITE EVENT (CAN BE A SWIM/BIKE/RUN EVENT OR A TRIATHLON EVENT) OR FAVOURITE PLACE TO TRAIN?
    Since joining GTC, I have rekindled my love of swimming.

    Growing up next to the sea in Youghal, we spent every evening and weekend in the sea from April to October. My grandmother lived right next to a small beach in the middle of town called “The Mall”, and we were always there as children.

    So finding swimming again and being lucky enough to live so close to Salthill is amazing.
    As the swim officer for the club for the last few years, one of my favourite things is organising the open water club swims during the summer.

    The reason I love it is because you get to see people arrive for their first sea swim (maybe ever, or their first one in a long time). As the weeks progress, you see them growing in confidence.

    First, they might swim to the 100m buoy and back and have that great sense of achievement. By the end, most people are swimming the Heskin Loop on a regular basis, and it honestly feels amazing to be part of someone’s journey like that.

  7. SPORTING CLAIM TO FAME (Name any sporting achievement you are most proud of)
    A couple of months ago, I told Colin I would only do The Brick if he promised me that I could say, “In 2025, I was the first woman across the line in the standard aquathlon in Lough Cutra, beating second place by nine whole minutes.”

    And he said, “I promise”, so here we are!

    As a give-it-a-go hero who never had a whiff of a podium in her life, that was an amazing feeling.

    But I am also so proud of completing any challenge I decide to take on. And that is one of the best things about GTC – there are so many people involved in different activities at different levels that you always find something out there to challenge you.

  8. 3 MUSIC TRACKS THAT POWER YOUR TRAINING SESSIONS…
    While I love music, I rarely listen to it when I’m training, as I often train with others when I can.

    However, I would be happy to give recommendations for music I enjoy at the moment!

    Firstly, there’s Jungle, and their newest album Sunshine was a staple in our house this summer.

    Second is Joshua Idehen, who I saw at the All Together Now festival in Waterford during the summer. I think that was my favourite gig there.

    And finally, if I want to listen to a song that will lift my mood and get me moving, I’ll throw on Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine.

  9. YOUR ALL-TIME SPORTING HERO(ES) AND WHY?
    I am so impressed with the coaches who are involved in GTC, and in particular the swim coaches.

    I have seen how they build members’ confidence and genuinely take an interest in their swimmers and helping them to improve.

    And they often do this at 7am when most of us are still just waking up, sometimes before or after their own pool training.

    The commitment and dedication are fantastic.

    Thank you, swim coaches! 🙂

  10. YOUR GTC HERO AND WHY?
    I am very proud to be a member of the GTC committee, and I want to give a big shout-out to my fellow committee members, who are all heroes in my eyes.

    The work that goes on behind the scenes to keep the club ticking over, and the amount of work that is done, so often in a quiet and unassuming manner, is a credit to them all.

    Galway Triathlon Club would not be what it is without them giving their time freely and generously, and it has been a pleasure to be a small part of that over the last few years.

    I will be stepping down as swim officer for 2027, and I would encourage anyone who would like to get involved in the committee to give it a go.

    I have made friendships for life and would highly recommend it.

    Well done, GTC Committee!