Katie O'Brien

Started: She took up Para rowing in 2012 at age 16. She took part in her first training camp in 2013, and made her World Cup debut later that year. (paralympic.org, 14 May 2024; advertiser.ie, 04 Mar 2022) Reason: She became interested in the sport after watching the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. "We were watching on TV, and I was like, 'Wow, the athletes are like me. I could be like them'. It dawned on me, and I was like, 'That's something that I can do, and that's something that I really, really want to do'. I've always loved sports. But it had never really occurred to me that that option was out there for me. I had always played sport at a disadvantage. I sent an email with my dad to Paralympics Ireland to see how I could get involved. The Paralympics are the pinnacle. It's where everybody wants to go." (paralympic.org, 14 May 2024; Instagram profile, 20 Sep 2023) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (paralympic.org, 14 May 2024) Additional Info: CAREER BREAK AND RETURN She returned to Para rowing in 2019 following a break from the sport, during which time she studied to become a veterinarian. "My [rowing] partner gave up, and I stayed training for another two or three years. But at that time, there wasn't a singles event at the world championships, and it just got to the point where I was like, 'I don't know why I'm doing this', because there was no one there, and I was training for nothing. [On her return in 2019] I then sat in the boat, and it was like a red rag to a bull. Again, I wanted to go for it." (paralympic.org, 14 May 2024) VETERINARIAN CAREER ON HOLD She has worked as a full-time veterinarian in Tuam, Ireland. She put her career on hold to focus on Para rowing full-time in early 2022. (advertiser.ie, 04 Mar 2022)

Sporting Relatives: Her brother Sean O'Brien has played rugby union with Connacht Rugby in Ireland. (advertiser.ie, 04 Mar 2022)