On Thursday night RTÉ aired 'Pull Like A Dog', their highly anticipated documentary on Gary and Paul O'Donovan, and as expected it was an outstanding watch.
While the hour-long special was packed with comedy moments where we saw the two brothers' massive personalities shine through, we were also granted a view into their world like we had never seen before. There were tough, emotional moments that showed us a different side of the O'Donovans, and helped us to understand how they got to where they are in their sport.
In an interesting look at the sports science behind the athletes, we got a small taste of what it takes to be an Olympic rower, particular when it comes to breaking through the pain barrier. While Gary accepts that pain is part and parcel of putting everything you have into your sport in order to reach the top, on the flip-side, Paul simply refuses to believe that pain exists.
This contrast in attitude was particularly interesting, and it was presented as part of a pre-Olympics clip magnificently shot at the National Rowing Centre in Cork.
How can you be better, how can you be the best that you can be?
And if you're the best that you can be, and you do the best that you can, then that's as good as you are, and you can accept your result then.
We went to the Olympics and we had our result accepted before we even started.
Inspiring stuff, particularly for those of us who have convinced ourselves that the new year will be when we commit to getting into shape after an indulgent Christmas break.
Pull Like A Dog was another outstanding documentary from RTÉ Sport. It was one that the whole nation had been looking forward to, as after seeing both brothers on game shows and the likes fo Graham Norton, many were looking forward to hearing the full story from the men themselves, and seeing the graft that goes into their love for rowing.
And it achieved just that. These guys are comedy gold, and fantastic entertainment, but they are also elite sportsman that are constantly going the extra mile to ensure that they can achieve what they are capable of.
