Show Notes
Paddy McLaughlin of Podiumfit.ie has embraced a life in triathlon and sport as both his profession and his passion. Working in sport and fitness for over 20 years with a variety of qualifications, he is a Level 3 Coach, a physical therapist, Bikefit® and Gebiomized qualified Bike fitter and an athlete who has tackled some of the toughest triathlon races in the world.
Not shy of taking on a challenging race he has completed multiple extreme events including the Celtman on three occasions, he finished with a black jersey in the Norseman and has also taken part in The Brutal Xtreme Triathlons.
Paddy has completed over 20 full distance triathlons including multiple IRONMAN events, was the winner of the Irish Double IRONMAN in 2013 and as well as completing four marathons in four days around the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal, he took part in the first edition of The Race Around Ireland in 2009.
Sport has been in his life from a young age from karate, kickboxing and rugby to triathlon, he is passionate about sport not only as an athlete himself but in supporting his coached athletes achieve their goals and potential, it is no surprise that he was Triathlon Ireland Coach of the Year in 2015.
Shying away from the spotlight generally, he is not afraid of pushing himself outside of his comfort zone when it comes to participating in sport himself or setting lofty goals and challenges that push him physically and mentally all the way to the finish line.
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Jen Done didn't grow up sporty. She swam a bit as a youngster, tagging along to galas beside a sister who was the 'sporty one of the family' and other than a handful of pre-baby marathons, a life in sport was never really part of her master plan. Seven years ago, after the birth of her daughter, she found herself in a very different kind of race, a race against postnatal depression so severe she could not get out the front door, convinced her husband and daughter would be better off without her. Dismissed as "baby blues" by three separate doctors before a female GP finally gave her the diagnosis and help she needed. Somewhere in the middle of it all, her husband suggested she try running again; she managed 30 seconds out the door and back. It was enough to change everything. That 30 seconds became a habit, and the habit snowballed; an IRONMAN 70.3 in Weymouth, her first full IRONMAN in Hamburg, the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in 2023 racing with the IRONMAN Foundation. She launched her own podcast, 'The Toughest Finish Line', to share other people's stories of using sport to fight through trauma and mental health struggles and she is also a triathlon coach. A little over three weeks ago, Jen took on her biggest challenge yet: two full IRONMAN races, on consecutive days, in two different countries. IRONMAN Kalmar in Sweden on Saturday and IRONMAN Copenhagen in Denmark 24 hours later. In this episode Jen recalls and shares insight into her Viking IRONMAN adventure, the highs and the lows, the chaos to the calmness, from lost luggage, to the hectic hours before the race weekend even started and the nausea that almost derailed her ambitious racing plans which saw her become an eight time IRONMAN. Jen talks openly about her postnatal depression and the transformational journey she has been on since that 30 second run seven years ago. She reflects on what she's learned about her own capacity to cope, how strong she is and how far removed this version of herself is from the woman who once couldn't leave the house. This is a lovely episode centred on courage, resilience, self-belief and the importance of a loving support crew to help you take one small step at a time, even when that small step seems impossible.
British professional triathlete Harry Palmer recently took the title for the third year in a row at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea, an accomplishment that is not often achieved in sport.
Aisling Wyer is an Irish triathlete and member of Naas Triathlon Club who has achieved impressive results at home and abroad all whilst working full time as a solicitor.
Endurance adventurer Sean Conway has lived a life defined by adventure, resilience and a relentless desire to do hard things. Driven by curiosity and an appetite for pushing beyond what most consider possible, Sean has built a career out of testing the very edges of human endurance.
Our first guests of 2026 are familiar names in endurance sport here in Ireland; Rob Cummins and Aisling Coppinger who share with us an honest and inspiring conversation about life, love and longevity in sport.