Triathlete Jack Kennedy describes himself as “very competitive” – and has his sights set on representing Jersey at a Commonwealth Games, and competing at an elite international level for Ireland.
Jersey Sport last month announced that a total of £103,500 has been allocated to allow 23 local athletes – who compete 11 different sports – to access professional development workshops on the Performance Sport Programme.
One of the athletes set to benefit from the scheme is 22-year-old triathlete and Stirling University student Jack Kennedy.
Express sat down with him to chat about his sporting ambitions, and how the new funding programme will help him to achieve them…
Can you tell us about your sporting journey so far?
I have always been sporty from a young age, wanting to compete in as many sports as possible at school. I then realised that triathlon was the sport that I had the most potential in, so decided to fully commit to it.
I started by competing at local events before getting the opportunity to race overseas in England and Ireland.
My performances led to me being selected to represent Ireland at the Youth European Championships when I was 16 and 17.
Since then my biggest achievements have been representing Jersey at the Guernsey Island Games, where I was part of team gold and representing Ireland at the World University Championships last year.
Did you expect to get this far in your sport?
I have always been very competitive, so therefore always had goals of getting this far in triathlon.
But there has been lots of highs and lows along the way, which has meant I’ve had to stay focused and work hard to get to where I am now.
What do you love about your sport?
In particular I love racing. I like how fast and intense racing is and how no race is the same. There are so many different variables involved.
I also like how the variety of swimming, cycling, and running keeps things interesting; there is always something to improve.
How do you feel about being chosen to benefit from the Performance Sport Programme?
I feel very lucky and excited to be a part of the Performance Sport Programme.
This opportunity will really help further my progress as an athlete and I look forward to representing the programme this season.
How will the programme assist your sporting progress?
The support from the programme will be invaluable, enabling me to travel and gain experience at international races.
These races are very important for gaining national squad and race selection.
I also look forward to making the most of nutritional and psychological workshops throughout the year which could really help boost my performance.
What is your sporting dream?
My sporting dream is to represent Jersey at a Commonwealth Games, and compete consistently at an elite international level for Ireland.