 Dooneen’s Orla Drumm, having completed her medical studies and qualified as a doctor now plans to take a career break to become a full time athlete, to fulfil her undoubted athletic potential. A native of Ballyclough, like many of the club’s members, Orla graduated from Crescent College and went on to study medicine in UCC, where she has recently been followed by a number of other club athletes such as Cathal C O’Connor, Margaret Gleeson both medicine and Nathan Jege, Computer Science. In Crescent she was a star hockey player, but her running talent was spotted in Vartry field in Raheen one evening and the rest is history.
Orla’s specialist event is the classic 1500m where she has an impressive PB of 4.16 set in Heusden, Belgium - well known to our junior men’s team in 2009, but she also competes in the 800m. For the last year she has been overcoming an injury to the sole of her foot ‘planter fasciitis’, which curtailed training and competition, but she did act as the medical doctor to the Irish team at the World University Games in Belgrade earlier this year.
Like most top class athletes her training will now increase to twice a day six days a week, with a mix of running everyday plus strength training, swimming, cycling and flexibility also included. The programme is designed with well known national coach, Rob Denmead of Tullamore Harriers. Rob also coaches Paul Robinson of St. Coca’s AC, the returning Colin Costelloe of Star of the Sea AC (formerly Arkansas, USA) and Liam Brady who was national u18 3000m champions this year. Ed Coughlan based in Liverpool acts as strength and conditioning coach.
Over the next few weeks Orla will train in Limerick before taking a week in Portugal for some warm weather training. After Christmas the plan is to move down to Melbourne in Australia for at least three months. No doubt she will probably run into our other Aussie based exile Antoine Burke. Depending on progress it might be too optimistic to see Orla in Barcelona 2010, but the world championships in 2011 is a strong possibility and all going well we may well be rooting for Drumm at the London Olympics 2012.
All in the club wish Orla every success and will be keeping a keen eye on her results. |
