DCU graduates’ Olympian achievements

For television viewers all around the world, the Tokyo Olympics delivered pure theatre on the entertainment front this year. Naturally, for those actually competing in the games, it was on a whole other level.

“It was mad, it was surreal,” are the words of Brendan Hyland, who competed in the 200-metre butterfly and 4x200-metre freestyle swimming events in Tokyo.

“It was such a thrilling and exhilarating experience. I don’t think I’ll ever experience such an adrenaline rush again,” said Sophie Becker, onequarter of the mixed relay team that made the 4x400-metre final on the track.

Both Hyland and Becker are DCU alumni, having studied Accounting & Finance and Genetics & Cell Biology at the university, respectively.

“I was on scholarship in DCU and I lived in the ‘athletics house’ which was part of what made me into the athlete I am today, being surrounded by like-minded people,” says Becker, a Wexford native.

“I did my internship in my third year in the place I’m still working today; INTRA is great. I then split my fourth year over two years and did my last exam in May. I knew a big year was coming up and knew I wouldn’t be able to study for final year and train for the Olympics. That was the best decision I ever made, because I’m graduating with a good degree and got to go to the Olympics, so that’s the best outcome I could have asked for.”

Hyland, who started off in Actuarial Mathematics, says: “I was academically good, but I wasn’t great at doing my college work and staying on top of it.”

“I eventually switched to Accounting and Finance and started working a lot more closely with Yvonne (McGowan, the DCU Senior Sports Development Officer) and Ross Munnelly (DCU Director of Alumni Relations). “Ross was the one in there who helped me get a head on my shoulders. He knew what it was like to be an athlete and do well in college, and then Accounting and Finance went quite well, and I ended up making good relations there.

“Whenever I needed anything, they were always there for me, and I ended up graduating two years ago.”

While athletics and swimming traditionally operate at the opposite end of the Olympics schedule, there was a greater connection between the athletes and swimmers than ever before during competition this summer. With no spectators, and a strictly controlled Covid bubble in Tokyo, each athlete from Team Ireland had to rely on the support of the other 115 Irish participants at the games.

“It was great to talk to the rowers, the hockey girls, the boxers and really get to know their stories,” says Becker.

“When the rowers brought home the medals, that was really motivating for the whole of Team Ireland and people were also saying that, when we made the relay final, that was really motivating for people too. It was just a really nice team spirit and there was a lot of support for everyone in the team.”

Hyland says “we’d be saying hi to everyone and you’d start to notice that everyone was friendly, and you’d know of a lot of the athletes before you went over, you’d just never really spoken to them. But you just realise everyone is the same; everyone is sound. Me and a few of the lads in swimming made a rule to say hi to every single Team Ireland person we meet, and all of a sudden you’re making friends all the time. And it does settle you a bit.”

On the track and in the pool, Becker and Hyland had plenty of Irish people up early to watch their performances throughout July.

Hyland swam his second-fastest ever time in the heats of the 200m butterfly, while Becker joined the short list of Irish women to make it to a final in Olympic athletics.

Being able to perform on the biggest day of his sporting career to date gives him huge belief for this next, shorter, Olympic cycle.

“It gives me loads of confidence,” he says. “I did that after a rocky few months, so if I can do that on the big stage when things haven’t gone my way for a few months, then I’m very excited to just make a plan for us going forward. People say it’s three years. It’s three years until it’s done. It’s really two- and a-bit years until you’re in the money.

“I also feel like the next one will be more about excitement and just doing what I love and getting back racing, because I missed a lot of racing during Covid and I’m someone who really does enjoy the arena. “I can’t wait to get back onto the big stage.”

Becker is also riding the crest of a motivational wave post-Tokyo and she describes the Olympics’ experience as an “eye opener”.

Being part of a team that knocks a stunning four seconds off a national record is always going to provide shot of confidence, but rubbing shoulders with some of the greats of her sport also sticks with the DCU graduate, she says:

“I’ve been to European competitions before, but to step it up to the world stage, it really was a totally different world. Like, I’m there on the warmup track beside Allyson Felix and the absolute greats of the sport, so if you’re ever looking for motivation, that’s the place to go!”