Going for Gold at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
Tuesday 26 July 2022
As the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham approaches, Queen's will be watching with pride as 10 students, graduates and honorary graduates compete in a bid to take home a medal.
We caught up with some of the competitors with links to Queen's as they prepared for the Games, to find out more about their ambitions and aspirations and the path they have taken to excel in their chosen sport.
James MacSorley – Queen’s Law Graduate
3x3 Men’s Wheelchair Basketball
First match : Northern Ireland v Canada - Saturday July 30 from 7.30pm to 10pm
James MacSorley with his Paralympic Bronze Medal from Toyko 2020
How are you and the team feeling as the Games approach, considering the new 3x3 format?
We're feeling good, but still have some fine tuning to do. It was good to get some practice games in last week as our first time all together since we qualified and we have another weekend of training between now and the games to fine tune some things, but we're in a good place going in to Birmingham.
How does your preparations and attitude compare to competing at the Paralympics?
It's been a strange experience, the Tokyo preparations were full on, due to Covid and to being a full time athlete with Team GB. We were in Loughborough for 3 months on and off working constantly towards the Paralympics, but everyone in Team NI have different commitments, so we've had to train when we could all get together. We've been trying to pull it together through training camps and being in contact while we're apart, but everyone is working away in the background.
Wheelchair Basketball is only debuting at the Commonwealth Games this year, despite being a Paralympic sport since the 1960s. Do you feel like this is long overdue, or is it the result of the GB team’s success at the World Championships and Paralympics?
I have no doubt the recent GB success has had something to do with it, as the visibility this has given Wheelchair Basketball will have had a part to play in its inclusion in the Commonwealth Games. I'm excited for the knock on effect in terms of the visibility this will bring to the sport in the UK.
How does the facilities/coverage of disability sport these days compare to when you were starting out? What do you attribute the changes to?
The massive turning point was London 2012. Channel 4 massively committed to covering all disability sports and disability sport has only grown from there. People seeing the sport in the media is one of the only ways to get people involved and I'm grateful that more and more people with disabilities have had the chance to change their lives through sport as it has developed.
Many Queen’s students and graduates competing in the Games have been recipients of a Queen's Sports Bursary. What influence would you say that the support and facilities at Queen’s had on your career?
The support I was given was massive, as I always knew I wanted to be a student athlete. I was given the support and flexibility to have the chance to excel in both university and basketball and I couldn't have done both without it.
What would you say to people starting out in Wheelchair Basketball, or considering trying it for the first time?
Give it a go, be patient and commit to trying things. You're not gonna be brilliant on day one, but failing is the first step on the road to succeeding, as long as you're willing to learn. Enjoy it, and stick at it!
Maria McCann - MB BCh BAO Medicine student
Frances Keenan - BSc Finance student
Netball
First match : Northern Ireland v New Zealand - Friday July 29 from 6pm to 9:30pm
Frances and Maria will face defending champions England in one of their early Netball matches
You face New Zealand in your first game and defending champions England are also in your group. How is the team feeling about these early matches?
Maria: We are excited to play against such talented competition. Going into the competition and playing potentially two of the toughest opponents, while it may seem daunting, can allow us to settle in with no pressure against us as underdogs. They will be great preparation for our later matches against teams closer to us in the world rankings.
Frances: Tough matches to start the competition but it will be an opportunity to get everyone on court and get some game time in different combinations so everyone is looking forward to them.
This year’s Commonwealth Games is the first time that there are more women’s medal events than men’s. With the women’s Euros being held in England and NI competing in it for the first time, there is a greater appreciation for women’s sport. What do you attribute this to?
Frances: Definitely great to see the success of female sport and the support for it has been growing over the past while. NI qualifying and competing at the Commonwealth Games will hopefully bring more interest to the sport and inspire girls to get involved in the sport. It is a growing sport worldwide but also in NI, hopefully these games will be a boost for it.
Maria: Over the last few years, the increased promotion and appreciation for women’s sport has been great to see. Of course, there’s still so much to be done. The increased media coverage of women’s sports, for example the Vitality Superleague on Sky, means high quality Netball is reaching more people than ever before. Similarly, the promotion and coverage of the Euros and of hockey and GAA has helped so much.
What influence would you say that the support and facilities at Queen’s had on your career?
Maria: Queen’s Sport has helped me develop as an athlete. The gym membership has allowed me to develop off court. Additionally, they offer academic advice and support and help me juggle two different sports with my studies.
Frances: Queen's offered a lot of support during my degree and aided my success in the sport. Everyone was so accommodating with training and games and 'managing the load' of me playing both Gaelic for Queen's and Netball with NI and this was a key factor in progressing in both sports. Access to training facilities, strength and conditioning support and physio was all crucial.
How did you get into Netball and what advice would you have for anyone wanting to play at a high level?
Frances: I started Netball when I went to secondary school and from there got selected for regional squads and then into the NI pathway and worked up through U17, U21 and into senior. I also joined a club and now currently play with Belfast Ladies' Netball Club. My advice would be to join a club as this gives you more opportunity for game practice and exposure to different styles of netball and players which is crucial for progression.
Maria: I have been playing Netball since I went to secondary school at Our Lady and St. Patrick’s College, Knock. My school was very supportive and had a great reputation for Netball. This allowed me to trial for underage pathways, moving up to now to the NI senior squad. My advice would be don’t give up, even when things aren’t going your way you can always bounce back.
Are there any events you are looking forward to watching while in Birmingham?
Maria: Obviously, I am very excited to watch the Netball. But additionally, I would love to see some of the Athletics and Basketball events as well.
Frances: Looking forward to supporting the rest of TeamNI in their sports and also looking forward to seeing some Athletics and Swimming.
Eoin Fleming – Queen’s Economics and Accounting Graduate
81kg Men’s Judo
First match : Preliminary Rounds, Tuesday August 2 from 10am -1pm
Eoin Fleming came fifth place at the 2014 Commonwealth Games - the last Games to feature Judo
You narrowly missed out on a medal at the 2014 Games. How is training going and how are you feeling after such a long wait for Judo to return to the Commonwealth Games?
Training has been going really well. I'm just off the back of two camps in Mongolia and Spain getting the final high volume training done, and now the next few weeks will be focused on final preparations and fight specific work.
It's been 8 years since Judo was last in the Commonwealth's and I narrowly missed out on the medal that day. I was just 19 at Glasgow 2014, so now at 27 I feel like I am approaching my prime and the 8 year gap since Judo was last in the Games has allowed me to become a completely different fighter.
The Commonwealth medal table for Judo seems to be dominated by England and Scotland. Do you think that there are better facilities or a better community for Judo in Britain than other Commonwealth countries?
I think historically, England and Scotland have dominated because they invest a lot financially and are able to continuously produce talented athletes that can compete on the world stage, not just at the Commonwealth's. I have actually been based in Edinburgh training full time with the Scottish players for the last 7 years, purely down to the number of training partners and facilities I'd have access too there.
But I think in Birmingham, you will see that other countries will be challenging England and Scotland on the medal table. We actually have a very strong team ourselves and I think we will very much be able to challenge for a few medals. However, Canada are sending a very strong team this time round when in the past they used to send a younger team. So expect them to be near the top of the table.
What influence would you say that being on the Elite Athlete Programme at Queen's and the University's support and facilities had on your career?
Being on the Queen's Elite Athlete Programme played a huge role in me being able to go full time in my sport in the first place. Karl Oakes and Hugh Campbell in particular gave me so much support and really tried to give me every opportunity they could to balance my studies and sport without one affecting the other.
In fact, they were able to work out a really flexible approach to my studies and training, which was a massive help. When I was on campus they made sure I had full access to any facility I needed at the time. I will always be grateful for this.
Are you seeing a boost of interest in combat sports and Judo due to the rise of MMA?
There definitely has been a clear increase in popularity and interest in combat sports due to the rise of MMA in Ireland. It would be foolish to say otherwise when you have one of the world's most famous athletes from Ireland in Conor McGregor. And its great to see. Unfortunately, this rise hasn't translated over to an increase in numbers doing Judo.
I think the rise is in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for example. And the reason for this, is that it is a bit easier on the body and therefore more people are attracted to a combat sport where gravity isn't used as a weapon, especially as an adult starting. I also think it is marketed to the public better. But hopefully, a medal at the Commonwealth's here can inspire a few more people to get involved in Judo.
What would you say to people starting out in Judo in Belfast, or considering trying it for the first time?
My biggest advice would be to throw yourself into it (no pun intended) and to allow yourself to fail without being discouraged. There is no room for ego's in a sport like this. So allow yourself to buy into the culture and values of the sport and I promise you'll fall in love with it. It is a sport like no other and the only regret you'll have is not starting it sooner.
Queen's University supports more than 100 athletes each year while they study and train. These programmes help athletes to go for gold through the support of generous donations from graduates, supporters of the University's 57 sports clubs and other friends of Queen's. Click here to find out how you can support Sport at Queen's.
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