All this week, we’ve been getting a glimpse behind the scenes at what it takes to be an inter-county star in ladies football and camogie and for Monaghan’s Caoimhe Mohan, life is pretty hectic.
The skilful footballer is juggling work as a nurse with club and county training, but she’s loving every single second of it all.
We caught up with Caoimhe this week as part of the new ‘Behind the Player’ intiative from the WGPA and found out all about life on the field and in the hospital.
“Juggling work and football is crazy, but a brilliant type of crazy,” she laughed.
“I pack my car up for the week of work and football and never know when I could return!
“I get a great buzz out of both work and football so it’s just a balance in itself.
“Football has been brilliant for me. It helped me get through my college years and through the horrible exams.”
“I’d go out in the evening for a wee kick around to take my mind off study for a while, then go back at it with a bang. To be fair, I’d take any excuse to get outside and kick around!
“Sport has taught me a lot of things, the most important of them all was learning how to deal with failure.
“That lesson was learned when we lost the All-Ireland final in 2011,” she reflected.
“The following year, 2012, we came back and won the League. That was amazing. Football has taught me how to work hard and as part of a team.
“I’ve also learned discipline and though I have had to make sacrifices throughout the years, it’s been worth it.
“Best of all, it’s brought me lifelong friends that are always there and it helped me to relieve stress throughout my college years – long may it last.”
__________________________________________________________________
As part of this new series, we also caught up with Annette Clarke of Galway, Sara-Louise Carr of Down, Patricia Jackman of Waterford, Shannon Quinn of Tyrone and Collette Dormer of Kilkenny.
#BehindThePlayer is a new initiative by the WGPA (Women’s Gaelic Player Association) and PwC to highlight the dedication and commitment by female football and camogie stars behind the scenes. It highlights the players as individuals who are successful and ambitious in life and sport and positions them as role models for young people across Ireland.
