ISESA Podcast

In the latest episode of the ISESA Podcast I meet Cliona Horan, Network Manager with Paralympics Ireland.  Cliona is passionate about getting people with disabilities into sport and has extensive experience working in various development and sports inclusion disability officer roles with multiple NGBs and sports partnerships around the country. This year, Cliona was responsible for delivering the Permanent TSB Next Gen Community series around Ireland. More than just a “come and try” event, the PTSB NextGen Community Series focuses on empowering individuals with disabilities to explore Para sports in their area and aims to inspire the next generation of Irish Paralympians and provide a pathway for skill development and participation in inclusive sports. With the final event happening Dublin at the weekend, I took the opportunity to show up with my trusty recorder to capture the stories of those in attendance.

To follow up on our previous episode, I chatted with 3 graduates who chose sport and exercise science courses and are now working in the health and sport sectors. Karen Peacock is a clinical exercise physiologist working with UPMC Sports Medicine in Waterford. Darragh Whelan and Jamie Blanchfield have both recently returned from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games where they worked with the Irish Cycling Squad. This is particularly impressive for Darragh who only graduated last October! They share their education stories and relate it back to where they are now in their careers - inspiring and motivational stuff for any potential sport & exercise science students!If you would like to get in touch with any of my guests - drop me an email at bruce.wardrop@setu.ie and I'll hook you up!

Our vision at the Irish Sport and Exercise Science Association is to enhance the health, well-being and performance of individuals through sport and exercise sciences. With that vision in mind and looking to the future, we thought it would be a good idea to put out an episode aimed at anyone who might want to know more about studying sport and exercise science - from current secondary students, to parents, teachers and guidance counselors or someone considering a return to 3rd level education - this is the episode for you. In this short form episode, we will give you the broad strokes of what studying sport and exercise science at 3rd level is all about, what the university experience might entail and importantly, what career opportunities are out there for graduates.Sharing this episode is particularly important. We would love to reach as many schools, guidance counsellors, teachers, students and parents as possible, so please send this episode to anyone you think might be interested!

This episode is essential listening for any student considering postgraduate study. There are so many amazing, funded opportunities for potential Masters and PhD candidates in the USA - you just have to know how to find them! Ciaran Fairman is an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina. Having completed all of his 3rd level education in the States, he has an excellent understanding of the graduate education landscape over there and was keen to share his knowledge with Irish students. I also took the opportunity to reach out to Grace McKenzie and Conor Cantwell, two Irish post grads who are current out in the United States. My 3 guests did not know each other, yet there shared experiences reinforce the story that is being told of how these postgraduate opportunities come about and work out for Irish students!You can contact my guests with questions! Ciarán FairmanGrace McKenzieConor Cantwell

Season 02 kicks off with an amazing guest, Dr. Ciara Losty. Ciara is an accredited Sports Psychologist with the Sport Ireland Institute and has supported a huge variety of Irish athletes from London 2012 through to Paris 2024. Alongside this, Ciara also works closely with Horse Racing Ireland where she helps Irish jockey through practical hands work and with her ongoing academic research. Speaking of academics - Ciara is also a lecturer in the South East Technological University where she is the Program Lead for their MSc in Sport & Exercise Psychology. I managed to grab an hour online with Ciara where we had a really engaging, entertaining and informative chat about all things sport psychology. Ciara shares loads of simple, practical advice on techniques she uses with athletes that anyone can leverage in their daily lives. It is not to be missed!

The Paris 2024 Olympics will finish on the 11th August and will immediately be followed by the mammoth task of resetting and rebranding the city for the World's second largest sporting event - the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Organized and hosted in PARALELL to the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games allows athletes who belong to 6 different disability groups to achieve sporting excellence and to inspire and excite the world.Ireland has historically competed well at the Olympic Games, with many of our athletes becoming household names. Leading the team to Paris 2024 is Team Ireland Chef de Mission, Neasa Russell who joins me in this episode to fill me in on all things Team Ireland for the Paralympic Games.Follow Paralympics Ireland online to keep up to date with all the latest news:Instagram: @paralympics_irelandLinkedIn: @paralympics_irelandX: @paralympicsIRE

We were back on the road this week with the 8th All Ireland Postgraduate Conference being held in ATU Galway, followed by the inaugural ISESA Undergraduate Poster Presentation Day in UL. I attended both with my trusty portable recorder and this episode aims to provide you with flavor of both events, bringing you the voices and sounds of those in attendance.There is also an interview with Kieran O'Dowd from TUS Athlone and keynote speaker from the PG event at the end of the episode - stay tuned for that!If you enjoy this episode, please leave our show a quick review where ever you are listening and make sure to follow us online!5aa8881a8ca984967775d56a43ac377494d37247

In this bitesize episode, Dr Sinead Holden from the UCD School of  Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sport Science tells us about the exciting PhD studentship she has advertised - an interdisciplinary project involving female health, sport science, wearable tech and AI.Contact Sinead: sinead.holden@ucd.ieLink to advertisement