We’re all about numbers these days. Be it Covid numbers or vaccination ones. So, here’s some more for you! In Japan, where the Olympics will be held later this month, their rising Covid figures and their low vaccination rate (just 8 per cent of a population of 126.3 million) have the Japanese people in a state of quandary as to whether the Games should be going ahead at all. 90,000 athletes, officials, journalists and other workers landing into Tokyo is not the wisest idea at all, they argue. But, according to the International Olympic Committee, the only thing which will stop the Tokyo Olympics going ahead is “Armageddon” – a bar that the pandemic, as terrible as it has been, does not currently meet.
For the Olympians who have worked so hard these past five years (five because of last year’s cancelled event) this is great news. For sporting fans too. And for RTÉ sports broadcaster Jacqui Hurley (who in 2009 became the first woman to present a sports show on RTÉ Radio), it is beyond exciting. If only she didn’t have to leave her two little ones, who she has hardly been away from at all this past year. But needs – and passions – must. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience”, she tells us. And anyway, she’ll be traveling in a bubble with good pal Des Cahill, and despite all the restrictions, they’ll still have the craic, even if they have to make it themselves.
A crew of 30 will travel from RTE to cover the Games. 270hrs of coverage on tv alone is promised. This crew of 30 will be housed in separate accommodation, just in case one pod goes down. Roughly 100 Irish Olympians will make the trip. It’s the biggest Irish contingency ever. The logistics as to how they, and their support teams, make this work is eye boggling, says Jacqui. All the action starts with the opening ceremony on July 23 and over the course of 17 days, 33 sports will feature at 339 events across 42 venues. The most historic Olympics in the history of the Games, (also because of New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard being the first openly trans competitor), will, as always, be a spectacle. And Jacqui Hurley will be there, ring side! We meet the Cork woman before she heads east at home in Blackrock, Co. Dublin…
Jacqui, these two are right little personalities! It’s going to be hard leaving them on the 20th.
Don’t talk to me! I’ve never been away from them for that long. I did my first Olympics in London 2012 and I was only just married. I did my second Olympics in Rio in 2016 when Luke was two. But this time leaving the two of them behind is a completely different ball game. Shane, my husband, has never had them on his own for that long either. He’ll be grand, but I’ll really miss them. I hope I’ll be okay! That said, I am SO excited! Just being in a stadium after this long – it will be thrilling!
Also getting on a plane! Staying in a hotel!
I know! I can’t wait! And I love the Olympics, always have. You also get to know the Irish Olympic athletes and so it really means so much, and is sort of a shared journey, when an Irish person wins a medal. 90,000 will be descending on Tokyo and Japan is also struggling with a fourth wave of Covid and has less than 8 per cent of its population vaccinated. The Japanese people do not want it to go ahead.
There’s a part of me that feels really bad because we’re imposing on them when they clearly do not want us there. But if you look at the guidelines we really are not going to be mixing with the public. We are in our Olympic bubble; we’re not allowed on public transport, in their shops or restaurants. But it must go against every grain of the Japanese humanity not to welcome tourists. Lots of people even here think the Olympics shouldn’t go ahead. But look at the Euros, yes it’s clear there’s going to be Covid cases, and people will have to pull out, which is very difficult, but we’re all finding a way to move on with life, and this could be the way forward – for now – once of course all precautions are taken.
And there are lots of precautions. In the Olympic village no cheering is allowed. No alcohol and condoms are even to be sold!
That athletes will definitely be disappointed about that because there’s plenty of that in the Olympic Village! I mean they’re saying they want it to be a normal Olympics, but there’s no clapping, no cheering, no craic – that’s very hard. I also think for the Irish athletes the fact that they’re families can’t go is horrendous. Especially when you think that 70 per cent of athletes only get to one Olympics. And then your mum and dad can’t go and watch you? That’s tough.
How big is the Irish Olympic team this year?
It’s likely to be about 100. It’s out biggest Irish team ever. I think the reason for this is down to a few things – firstly, we have more team events qualified: the men’s rugby 7s, women’s hockey, plus showjumping and dressage teams in equestrian, so that swells the numbers. But also there’s been big investment in some sports, like rowing, which has gone from one boat in London 2012 to six qualified for Tokyo, so it’s a bit of hard work and investment paying off and some of it is down to just sheer numbers involved.
So no cheering for athletes and, six days quarantine for those coming from countries affected by the Delta variant – that’s especially hard.
Yeah, I mean look at even the Irish hockey girls. There’s 16 of them, two reserves and a management team, and you’re trying to keep them in their bubbles just in case one pod goes down. The logistics are frightening. Even our RTÉ crew are traveling in a buddy system. I’m fairly lucky because I’m traveling with Des Cahill and the two of us get on great, we’ve done a couple of Olympic Games together and we’re cut from the same cloth – we have a good laugh. But just the logistics from our side trying to match travel buddies and putting them up in different hotels, just in case all the camera people from RTÉ get Covid and then the reporters have no one to report to! The logistics are insane!
How many from RTÉ are going?
There’s normally 50, but it’s 30 this year. It’s the smallest team we have ever sent. We’re trying to be as efficient as possible. Part of the problem with The Olympics is because there are so many venues and so many Irish athletes, trying to cover them all is really difficult. Particularly for this one because if mum and dad can’t be there to see their child compete we need to be. We need to be there so they can communicate to their family at home about how happy or sad they are.
Will you guys still manage to have a bit of craic, despite all?
Oh Jaysus, I hope so! When you’re away from home for so long you have to get out there and have the chats, and if we can’t do that it’s going to make it a very long trip. But listen we don’t want to be breaking rules so if they tell you you can’t leave the hotel, that’s fine. It’s a lifetime experience going to an Olympic Games anyway.
It will be a historic Olympic games for sure, also because New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will be the first openly trans competitor…
The world has changed so much but yet professional sport takes time to catch up to what reality looks like. A moment like this when the world is watching can have such a significant impact. Something like this happening at the Olympic Games is really powerful and if it helps just one person, it’s worth it. But look there are debates to be had about testosterone levels, we had the same debate with intersex athletes, because scientifically if it gives someone an advantage, well then that is wrong. But I do think in terms of inclusivity it’s a massive step forward.
About inclusivity, we spied your new children’s book, your second, today at home. The first was called Girls Play Too. What’s the new one about?
This is book two in the series, and it’s the same idea: 25 female athletes telling their inspiring life stories. I think there’s a lot more personal adversity in this book as opposed to the first in which the focus was about girls not getting the same opportunities as the boys. There’s a lot more girl issues in this book. We touch on anxiety, eating disorders and dyslexia and how athletes overcame these obstacles and went on to have all this sporting success. For me this book was trying to communicate to primary school girls, because gosh, they have it so much harder than we had it.
We’re looking forward to watching Anna Geary’s two part documentary airing this month on why teenage girls give up sport. And the numbers are really startling. What kept you in it?
Look, it’s really hard. And a lot of it is your peer group, and what they’re into as well. Every family isn’t into sport, but my family really were, and that made a difference. My mum and dad went to all the games. I could see them on the sideline having the craic with the other parents; it felt like we were all getting something from it. Without sounding like an arsehole I was also good at sport so there was always room for me on the team. But I had friends who weren’t as good and they were not into giving up their Saturdays if they were benched on the sidelines. But if you have a 13 year old boy who isn’t top tier, there still will be a team for him somewhere, because there probably is three or four teams in his age group. If you’re a girl though there’s probably only one team. So I think it’s all about access so that girls can play to whatever level they want to play. They don’t have to be elites, just let them play. Girls deserve sport the way boys do too.
Lily (4) was telling us earlier how she plays hurling. And Luke (7) left the shoot early to head to swimming lessons. Are you that sport Billy family?!
Oh God yeah! Our house is on the go everyday. It’s mostly because Shane and I both played and we got so much from it. I wouldn’t force it on my kids, if they told me they hated sport, grand, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want them to be into it. It’s hard to not want it for them, when you know the great life it has given you.
Shane still plays rugby, do you still play basketball and camogie too?
I play basketball still, yep. Don’t coach as much as I used to because I’m just so busy. But I am coaching Luke’s group in the GAA and I love that. As long as they want me involved and I’m not a mom making a show of myself on the sidelines, I’ll stay involved!
Are you the mum on the sidelines that roars and shouts?
No! And you might not think that. But I hate that, I really do. If you are not saying something supportive please don’t say anything at all.
Shane is going to be busy over the next few weeks doing the ferrying and the feeding, along with the accounting day job. But he will also be running your horse box coffee huts, which the two of you set up in lockdown!
Lockdown affected everybody in different ways. For us it was an opportunity to dabble in something new. It wasn’t a lifelong dream to be a coffee barista or anything, but it was an opportunity to do something fun with mates. And we did have great craic kitting out our horse boxes! We’d be nearly like Dermot Bannon getting quotes on panelling and tiles – for a horse box! Everyone thought we were bonkers! At the moment there’s two of them in Sandyford, not too far from where we live. They’re called Horse Box Adventures, because we thought, maybe, down the line we might sell a little more than coffee. But for now, it’s just coffee. We’re not ready to sell an adventure or a dream – just yet!
Well, we hope the dreams of all the Irish Olympians play out over the next number of weeks and we hope you, Jacqui, have a great adventure ahead of you!
It will be quite the adventure!
INTERVIEW: Bianca Luykx
PHOTOGRAPHY: Lili Forberg
STYLING: Zeda
MAKEUP: Michelle Field
HAIR: Brian Sweeney
