Born to Perform (24 page)

With Kerry footballers on the Tuesday before the All-Ireland football final in September 2006 against Mayo, which Kerry won. The Kerry greats visited me for a final tune-up on the physio table: Seamus Moynihan, Eoin Brosnan, me and Colm Cooper.

Cycling in Belgium with Eddy Merckx in 2007. Eddy is a five-time Tour de France winner and arguably the world's greatest ever cyclist.

“All together now” – putting a group of international athletes through their warm-up programme, Iten, Kenya, 2009. The Kenyans train in groups with the motto “Train hard, win easy.”

With my wife Diane, a GP in Limerick.

With my son Patrick, who has brought great joy and fun into my life.

Teaching a group of physiotherapists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2009. The week-long seminar was exhausting, but the satisfaction of helping others made it all worthwhile.

In my clinic in Iten, Kenya in 2010, with two of today's stars: Mo Farah (UK) (left) – world champion 5,000 metres 2011 – and Joseph Ebuya (Kenya), world cross country champion 2010.

With Kilkenny star hurler Henry Shefflin in 2010. Henry's drive to win and excel is truly remarkable. In my view, he ranks with the best of the world and Olympic champions I have treated. An inspiration!

With Moses Kipsiro (Uganda) in my clinic in Iten, Kenya in 2011. Moses won the Commonwealth 5,000- and 10,000-metre Championships in 2010, and weeks later became the first athlete since Ben Jipcho (Kenya) in 1973 to win the 5,000- and 10,000-metre double at the All-African Championships.

Treating Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) in my clinic in Iten, Kenya, in 2011. Vivian is the world 5,000-metre champion (2009 and 2011), world 10,000-metre champion (2011) and world cross country champion (2011).

With University of Limerick President Professor Don Barry and Ronnie Delany at opening of the “Hartmann Collection” at the university in 2007. (©
Press 22: www.press22.ie
)

With Mickey Harte, the great Tyrone football manager, and Ger Keane in April 2011. Mickey and the Tyrone football team had come for a two-day training seminar in my clinic at the University of Limerick.

Cycling the Marmotte, July 3, 2009. After almost 8 hrs of cycling, I race the 9 miles and 21 hairpin bends to the top of Alpe d'Huez to win a gold medal for the 45- to 50-year-old category.