There's a pretty stacked schedule of football today, but we recommend you steal ten minutes from somewhere to sit down with today's Irish Independent, as it features a lengthy interview between Sonia O'Sullivan and Vincent Hogan.
The piece has yet to be posted online, so best to go out and buy the paper. It covers a host of topics, including Sonia's involvement with the Olympic Council of Ireland, of which she has been a board member. Her role, however, has been more emblematic than executive.
To illustrate this, she tells a tale from London 2012, during which she had worked as Ireland's Chef de Mission. After Katie Taylor won her gold medal, Sonia was given the job of bringing Taylor to an OCI-organised reception in a pub. Sonia didn't particularly want to bring her, and Katie didn't really want to be there. Sonia recalls the story as an example of how she felt "used" at times by the OCI. What is also striking is Taylor's humility in the wake of an exceptional victory.
I had to bring her to this Irish House and it was the last place on earth that she wanted to go. You know she's just not into pubs or anything like that. Katie was telling me that all she wanted to do was to go to McDonald's, have some time for herself and her family to reflect on the whole thing. But, at that moment, it's like you're owned by the Olympic Council of Ireland.
We fully recommend you pick up the interview. And then tear your hair out at the bumper quiz at the back of the sports section.
[Irish Independent]
