Support comes in many forms and for Nadia Power, one of the more unusual ways was a recent offer of free Covid-19 testing by a Dublin laboratory. The life of an elite athlete these days is both complicated and for those like Power, who dont get substantial funding expensive, with each pre- and post-travel PCR test costing about 130.The 23-year-old Dubliner reckons she spent 3,000 traversing Europe this year in a bid to boost her Olympic qualification chances, which she did, breaking the Irish indoor 800m record in Vienna and then again in Torun, Poland.There are a lot of good people out there and they know your story and want to help, she says. I really appreciate that.
The assistance extends to her lecturers at DCU who, in recent weeks, granted Power several extensions as she juggles her degree in marketing, innovation and technology with training.
Right now shes going hell for leather at her assignments, hoping to have the decks cleared by mid-April to head off on a warm-weather training camp in preparation for the Olympics. Following her superb indoor season, Power is well within the qualification cut-off on world rankings for the womens 800m.
The one downer of her year was that she didnt make the final at the European Indoors in Torun, edged into fourth in her semi-final having surged to the front on the third lap.
It was definitely my worst race of the season, said Power, who was announced as ambassador for Toyota Ireland. I think that tactic would have worked for me at a different time throughout the season and I would have finished stronger but I just didnt have that day. But no regrets.
For now, its back to the hard slog with three tough sessions each week interspersed with easy running and strength training. Power did 6 x 1km yesterday evening with a tempo run to follow tomorrow and hill reps awaiting on Saturday.
Its a monastic lifestyle, and Power hasnt been in a car or a house with a friend in a year but she hopes it will pay dividends this summer.
As an elite athlete she has an exemption to continue training as normal, and she hopes that same freedom will be granted to young athletes in the weeks ahead.
The sooner the better, she says. Athletics is so low-risk, especially outdoors. I cant even see why it hasnt been back sooner.