Reece Ademola had a breakthrough summer. Standing at 6 foot 9 inches tall, the 19-year-old from Cork finished fifth in the Long Jump at the World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia in August, breaking the national U20 record. Ademola has a big future in the sport and is determined to one day make the Olympics.
David Gillick, who is no stranger to success in the sport, chatted to Reece at the launch of 123.ie's sponsorship of Athletics Ireland last week.
David Gillick: Reece Ademola, it's not often I'm looking up at people, what height are you?
Reece Ademola: 6’9.
DG: 6’9!?
RA: Yeah.
DG: So that comes in handy when you're trying to leap into a sand pit?
RA: It does. It has its benefits, it has its cons as well; trying to find the right clothes, shoe size and everything.
DG: Listen, when you look back at the last year, it's been fantastic for you. World U20’s in Cali, fifth place position, performing at your best when it really mattered. How do you kind of take that and go forward?
RA: I definitely rose to the occasion; I didn't think I would. It was my first international as well, so there was a lot on my mind at that time. I was trying to calm the nerves, trying to figure out that “oh my god, I'm actually here, I'm about to compete.”
DG: On that, after your first jump, you led the competition.
RA: Yeah, I know. I definitely had the competition by the balls, I would say. The first jump really took me by surprise, it kind of set the course for after.
DG: Yeah, because like you're still only 19, you're competing now at a world level in that age group and performing extremely well. When you look ahead, what excites you the most because it's a busy calendar coming up in the next couple of years.
RA: What I'm thinking about is just jumping really, that's all I really care about and what I'm passionate about. Jumping and doing Ireland proud, that’s really it like. My eyes are set on the Olympics. Normally for any athlete really the Olympics is the main goal. I'm putting the boot into it and getting stuck right in the mud.
DG: Because again, the youth that's coming through of which you’re still in that category as a teenager, it's been really successful. I think today is a really positive day to have a title sponsor like 123.ie come on board. That must as a collective just push the sport forward from grassroots all the way up.
RA: Yeah, I know. I'm extremely happy now that 123.ie is on our side now and we’ll see what comes ahead.
DG: You have that contagious smile on your face, you’re that type of person, but it's brilliant because you see how much enjoyment you're getting out of the sport, and you get to travel the world and do all these great things.
RA: Yeah, the benefits that come with track and field now, you get to travel the world like you said. You get to meet great people, follow them online and just see what they are at as well. You see how they're training, get insights from their training and see how you can better your training. We all come into one really, it's all one big community at the end of the day, just everyone in the world coming together.
DG: I've never done the Long Jump. I'm always envious of long jumpers because it looks like a cool event. When you're on that runway and you’re looking down that sand pit, what's going through your head?
RA: Ok so, this is my pit, that’s all I’m thinking about. This is my pit. You're only in here because I let you. I'm coming up approaching it, tall and myself, just thinking about the thing, just like, “the first jump is going to be successful.” It's about getting that first jump. If I'm not getting the first jump, it messes my head you see. I’m thinking about getting the first jump in and bossing the event.
Speaking at the launch of 123.ie's sponsorship of Athletics Ireland, CEO Hamish Adams explained why the sport's governing body opted to partner with the company.
"123.ie are a premier brand. It's not only the financial aspect that they bring to us, certainly that's important, but it's the recognition for us as a sport and the promotion of our sport. It's a really exciting time and space for us and 123.ie."
