Interview: Ben Shaw – Triathlon Ireland

Sep 29, 2014

Q1. What is your daily routine when you are training?
Varies a little, but generally; wake up and then ride. Have breakfast and then sleep for a couple of hours. Wake up and swim. Lunch and another nap. Wake up and then run. Dinner, watch TV and asleep by 8.30pm.
 

Q2. What are your three most prized possessions?

I don’t actually have any personal possessions in terms of material items. I guess my relationships with family and friends and my memories are my most prized possessions if that counts?

Q3. If you could invite 3 people to dinner – who would they be and why?

Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and The Dalai Lama. Obviously all individuals that have contributed to significant social change.

Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and The Dalai Lama – Ben’s ideal dinner guests!

Q4. What do you enjoy outside of sport?
Watching Movies and TV shows.
 

Q5. What’s your favourite film?

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – The original version. It is just a happy and fun movie.

Hard to beat – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (The Original)

Q6. Any phobias?

No

Q7. Do you have a sporting hero?

I wouldn’t say heros but respect- Edwin Moses and Alistair Brownlee. Moses was an amazing athlete and highly intelligent with an incredible work ethic. Alistair is always very friendly and down to earth. He also races aggressively and takes risks even though he could just sit in and win “the easy way”.

Q8. Favourite actor or actress?

Denzel Washington

Q9. Where would you like to go on holidays – but you can’t have been there before?
Tibet

Q10. If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?

I would like to be able to heal people who are sick.

Q11. Favourite restaurant?

Vapianos (Germany).

Q12. What three things would you bring to a desert island?

Swiss Army Knife should do it!!!!

Q13. If you could meet anyone in the world who would it be and why?

So they have to be alive? As above – The Dalai Lama.

Q14. What’s your favourite TV series?

The Big Bang Theory

Down time…. The Big Bang Theory!

Q15. You just won the lotto – what’s the first thing you are buying?

I would donate money to a charity and then ask my family if there is anything they would like.

Q16. What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever bought?

I don’t waste money – or perhaps I don’t have money to waste!

Q17. How did you get involved in triathlon?
I grew up with family friends who were/are professional triathletes.
I started by doing backyard triathlons with them. It turns out that this was a pretty good preparation for a career in triathlon.

Q18. What is a typical weeks training?
I will swim about 20km, cycle up to 400km and run up to 100km a week. Any time not spent training is devoted to eating and sleeping. I have no social life (just in case people think this is a glamorous vocation).

Q19. What stage are you at in your Rio Olympic Qualification Campaign?
Olympic qualification for triathlon takes place over a two-year period that started in June. At this point I have not performed at a level that I am happy with. However, lots of changes are still possible at such an early part of the qualification process.

Q20. What’s the toughest aspect of being an elite triathlete?
Constant travel, poor eating habits, being away from home and training the best you can in a less than optimal environment.

Q21. What’s your proudest moment in your triathlon career so far?
I have not been satisfied with any performance so far. I have performed various elements of different events quite well but I am yet to put an entire race together.

Q22. Over the 3 disciplines what are your strengths and weakness?
My biggest strength is also my biggest weakness. I like to attack races and take a risk to win a race rather than sit back, race conservatively, and just pick off the athletes that have “had a real go”. I guess being a stronger swimmer I tend to be one of those that race hard and get passed by those racing “tactically”.

Quick Fire Round

Twitter or Facebook – Twitter

Movie or TV – Movie

Chinese or Indian – Indian!

Early Night In or Late Night Out – Early Night In

Text or Whatsapp – Text

Coke or Pepsi – Don’t drink either. I only drink water!

Crisps or Chocolate – Chocolate

Swimming pool or Sea – Sea

Playstation or Xbox – Playstation

Suit and Tie or T-shirt and Tracksuit – Tracksuit

Music Festival or Comedy Gig – Comedy Gig (as long as it finishes by 8.30pm and I can get to bed)

Welcome news for Sport- Government announces rates exemptions for sports clubs

Sep 25, 2014

Rates to only apply to buildings which are used to generate income

Sports clubs will only be liable to pay commercial rates on parts of their clubhouses which house bars or shops under amended rules agreed by the Cabinet on 24th September. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin brought a memo to Government on the issue. The new rules mean community sports clubs will only be liable for rates on buildings are used to generate income.

A Department of PER statement said that:

“The amendment to the Valuation (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 2012 would mean that Community Sports Clubs will only be liable for rates on buildings that are used for the generation of income. Buildings that are used for the sale of alcohol or food, retail outlets etc. will be rated but buildings that are used for community sport will be exempt.  If a sports club’s only commercial facility is the bar then it is only the bar and ancillary facilities that will be rated.”

Sports club facilities are normally exempt from rates but where the club has a bar, all of its premises are valued for rates purposes, including buildings that are purely for sporting purposes.

Quoted in the Irish Times a government spokesman said: “This situation is seen as placing an unfair burden on many local clubs that are a key part of their communities…Any type of building, or part of a building, used for ‘community sport’ and not for profit and which is not used to generate income can be exempt.” 

Although the new rules will not apply to Croke Park or the Aviva Stadium, no other sport facility is specifically excluded.

Read Irish Times Article here

Read Department of Public Expenditure and Reform statement here

Mental Health Awareness Seminar

Sep 18, 2014

What: Mental Health Awareness Seminar

Where: Maldron Hotel, Tallaght

When: Monday, Sept. 29^th 6.30 – 8.00pm

(Food and refreshments available from 6pm)

Guest Speakers: Seana Cooke, FAI women’s international soccer player

Cllr. Kenneth Egan, ex Olympic Boxer

As part of South Dublin County Council’s Health & Wellbeing Week from Sept. 29^th to Oct 5^th  SDCSP is organising a Mental Health Awareness seminar aimed at club coaches, committee members, leaders and parents in the South Dublin area. Mental Health has been recognised as an area of great concern in Ireland and sports bodies, through education and training to assist coaches in their community clubs to create an accepting environment where young men and women can feel comfortable to talk, have become very important vehicles to get the conversation started and rid Ireland of the stigma of mental ill health.

The seminar will have expert speakers on mental health from Mental Health Ireland (www.mentalhealthireland.ie),  Headstrong (www.headstrong.ie) and See Change (www.seechange.ie) covering topics such as:

• the building blocks of mental health
• what does mental ill health really mean?
• the key issues impacting on peoples mental health & well being
• the value of listening in supporting mental health
• the supports that are available to community clubs

In addition, there will be direct contributions on the experience and effects of mental ill health from guest speakers Seana Cooke, a senior women’s soccer international, and former Irish Boxing Champion and Olympian Kenneth Egan. They will outline how they experienced mental ill health, how they came to recognise it and seek help for it and the steps they (and their wider circle) made to overcome it.

Approximately 1 in 10 people in Ireland (450,000) are affected by depression at any one time. It would be fantastic to see you there and would be very grateful for your assistance in actively promoting this very important seminar to your contacts. The seminar is free of charge but you are asked to book a reservation by email – info@sdcsp.ie

Sport Ireland Bill 2014- Summary of developments

Sep 3, 2014

The Sport Ireland Bill published at the end of August is the most significant piece of legislation directly impacting on sport since the Irish Sports Council Act setting up the Irish Sports Council Act was passed in 1999.

One of the motivations behind the legislation is to facilitate the merger of the Irish Sport Council with the National Sports Campus Development Authority – the state agency charged with the development, management and operation of the National Sports Campus in Blanchardstown. However, the proposed Bill does also make some subtle changes to the overall functions of the two bodies when they come together under the “Sport Ireland” banner.

In the main, the legislation provides for the governance, operation and administration of the new body. However we have set out below a summary of the developments from the existing regime.

1. Functions of Sport Ireland

The role of Sport Ireland in relation to the development of coaching and tutors at all levels in sport tin co-operation with sporting bodies is specifically mentioned which, was not the case in the 1999 Act. There is also more detail in relation to the proposed functions regarding anti-doping when compared with the previous legislative regime.

Sport Ireland is also to have a role in disseminating information around competitive sport and recreational sport as well as encouraging sponsorship in competitive and recreational sport. The Bill also makes provision allowing the Minister to assign additional functions to Sport Ireland.

It would also appear that there is to be an increased role for the Minister in relation to research with the research to be carried out by the new body to be done on the direction of the Minister.

2. Sponsorship & Donations

The Bill also provides that Sport Ireland cannot enter into a sponsorship contract or take a gift that would be inconsistent on Government policy or any of its functions.

3. Service Agreement

In a new development there is to be a service agreement to be entered into between Sport Ireland and the Minister setting out the tasks to be carried out by the new body.

The timing of the proposed enactment of the Bill should become apparent when the legislative programme for the Autumn is published on 17^th September. However, we understand that the it is intended that Sport Ireland will become operational as of 1^st January 2015.

Read The Bill Here

Read More Here

FutureFit helps clubs reduce their energy bills

Sep 2, 2014

FutureFit has recently been successful in securing government funding of over half a million euro on behalf of 21 sports clubs and facilities throughout the country. The funding will help pay for roof and wall insulation, energy efficient lighting, more efficient boilers, heat pumps, solar thermal installation and efficient refrigeration systems, all of which will help reduce their energy bills significantly. The average cost is over €50,000 per club which should generate an average saving of over €11,000 per year giving a return on investment of 2.3 years after funding.

Clubs around the country are well aware of the high cost of energy in their facilities and that every euro saved can be diverted back into valuable services for the club. Energy retrofitting is really important for Ireland, reducing expensive imports of fossil fuel and providing much needed employment.

FutureFit is also delivering a management and training module entitled “EnergyFit”

What your club gets from EnergyFit?

• Professional energy assessment to identify savings

• Analysis of bills for best tariff and annual usage/costs

• Online, real-time electricity monitoring

• Training on energy management for club members

• An application for SEAI funding where appropriate

• PR and other support from our partners

For further information please contact paul@futurefit.ie or call 086-343-3368