Sonia O’Sullivan ISBN 978-1-78849-207-2 eBook ISBN 978-1-78849-239-3 Natasha Mac a’Bháird Teaching Guide By Peter Heaney

RATIONALE & THEMES: leading and she is encouraged to join forces illustrates how participation in sport can with a specialist coach. Her performances encourage resilience. Sonia O’Sullivan was born to run. It was continue to improve and when she wins this ability that she used to express herself, It appeals generally and provides many the senior Cross-Country title she realizes whether she was running through the fields opportunities for discussion around the that she wants to chase the dream of the with her friends as a child or competing as a pivotal points in the story. Olympics. world-class athlete on famous tracks across The themes sit firmly within the remit of the the world. She secures a sports scholarship to an SPHE and PDMU guidelines. American university; however, the regime This biography follows her journey from her Development can be more effectively doesn’t suit her and injuries begin to club days in Cobh to World and European facilitated with small group discussion. interrupt her progress. A change is needed champion and Olympic silver medalist, as and after graduating, she moves to London. The guide has been divided into three she plants the Irish flag firmly on the peaks of sections to reflect the development of the Her first Olympics, in , sees her women’s middle and long distance running. story. make a tactical error which denies her a Her story also illustrates the commitment medal. The following year at the World that is needed to develop a talent to the Championships, she secures a silver in the Section 1 point where it can take on and beat the best 1500m against formidable opposition. in the world. Running Her first gold comes in as she The themes explored are: Pages 7 - 63 prepares for the Olympics. †† Dedication and commitment †† Winning and losing In she takes gold in the inaugural SUMMARY †† Making choices World 5000m however, a misunderstanding Sonia loved to be out and about in the fresh †† Racism over the Irish flag creates negative comment. air with her friends, entertaining themselves. †† Healthy lifestyles Atlanta is a disaster. Sonia is unable to However, it is when she is running that she †† Choosing priorities recapture her form, abandoning one race finds the most satisfaction. †† Dealing with disappointment and finishing at the back of the field in During the annual Cobh Milk Run, it is †† Rivalry the other. Medical advice back in Limerick suggested to her that she has potential in †† Dishonesty confirms that she had trained to the point of cross-country running. She and her friends †† Sportsmanship exhaustion. join the local athletic club where she Recovering on holiday with her coach, develops under the praise of the coach. SUMMARY romance blooms and she decides to settle School preparations are underway for the For Sonia, running is as natural as breathing. with him in Australia. Community Games. Sonia is selected to Her first major event is the annual Milk Run A new training regime restores her represent Cobh and is thrilled to win her first around Cobh, where she is surprised by a confidence and brings double gold in serious race. prophetic comment from another runner on at the European championships. In the autumn, she transfers to secondary her potential. When her first child is born, her priorities school and after a brief dalliance with She joins a local athletic club where coaching shift seismically and her preparation for the camogie, she decides to concentrate solely begins to hone her talent. Olympics finally delivers the elusive on running. At school, her PE teacher recognizes medal. A fitting conclusion to a spectacular Club outings continue and the atmosphere her talent and enters her for the local career. sparkles with sing songs and picnics as they Community Games, where her win allows Settled in Australia, she watches her daughter travel around the county events collecting her to compete in a bigger event in Cork. take silver for Ireland at the European prizes. Moving to secondary school, Sonia tries championships, the story paused not ended. Pat, the club coach, suggests Sonia contact different sports including camogie. However, a local coach whose approach has delivered APPROACH she knows that her talent lies on the track impressive results. Sonia does so, and and decides to concentrate on running. This biography highlights the determination confides in him her dream to be the best in Her local club are rarely beaten with Sonia needed for any sporting skill to develop and the world.

Sonia O’Sullivan 1 Teaching Guide A flaw is revealed when she hides symptoms and explain why it makes you so happy. That evening, he decides that he needs to of being unwell in order to continue training create a chart that will show them easily and compete. Fortune smiles on her this time 2. The Milk Run (Read pp11-13) what foods they should eat and what foods and she takes the Munster Under-14 schools The Cobh event is a run not a race and all the they should avoid. Can you help him? title, irritated that there is no national event competitors get a certificate on completion. In groups decide on a clear attractive format in this category. The organizers want to know what the for the chart and include the information A club outing to the running track in Santry competitors think of this. you think is necessary for them to have. provides another harvest of medals and They have a large sheet of paper at the healthpromotion.ie/hp-files/docs/ an opportunity for high spirits with water end of the race headed RACE or RUN and HPM00796.pdf balloons at their hotel. have asked the competitors to add their irishheart.ie/your-health/ways-to-live-better/ Her coach enters her in the National preference for next year with an explanation. healthy-eating/ Junior Cross-Country event and despite his Make a copy of Sonia’s entry. reservations she also enters for the main 7. Dear Sir (Read pp53-57) Now add three more entries for each of the event, determined to measure herself against The hotel manager writes to the athletic choices. What would your entry be? the best in the country. club to complain about their behaviour and irishtimes.com/sport/sonia-o-sullivan- damage that the girls caused in the hotel. Her win in both events catapults her into what-s-the-motivation-behind-a-charity- When the committee speak to Mrs. Murphy the public eye and during the post-race run-1.3938435 interview she declares her dream to run for they decide to provide a list of DOs and Ireland in the Olympics. 3. Glowing (Read p15) DON’Ts for anyone supervising runners overnight. Sonia glows when the coach praises her. DISCUSSION POINTS Praise is important in the development of Create a copy of the hotel’s letter of †† (Read pp 8-9): Sonia and her friends any skill. complaint and the committee’s reply along play a game of knocking on doors and with their guidance for future trips. Create two lists of comments; one that then running away. The girls think it fun, coaches should use frequently and one that however, the people who live in the they should avoid. Section 2 houses are annoyed and think it selfish. Who is right? Should the girls be more If the coach needs to give advice, create a Olympic Disaster considerate or should the homeowners list of positive comments they could use. Pages 64 - 125 be more tolerant? sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/2019-10/ †† (Read pp46-51): Sonia hides being unwell coaching-ireland-fact-sheet-2-a5.pdf SUMMARY in case her mum stops her from training. Is icoachkids.eu/_assets/files/documents/ The Leaving Cert. signals the end of this a sensible attitude? Does competition motivation/coaching-ireland-coaching- secondary school and Sonia secures a encourage us to make foolish decisions or children-successfully.pdf sports scholarship to Villanova University in is risking your health part of the price of Philadelphia to study and also to take her success? Why are people willing to take 4. Camogie is best running career to the next level. these chances with their health? (Read pp32-33) The Villanova regime doesn’t suit Sonia and †† (Read pp53-55): Sonia and her friends Sonia decides that she prefers running and injuries become a regular occurrence. have a plan to cheat the train company makes negative comments about camogie. Finishing her degree, she decides to move to out of the price of three tickets so that How might an enthusiastic camogie player London, ready to challenge seriously to be a they can buy sweets. Is this stealing? Is respond to these comments? some dishonesty acceptable if no one is successful professional athlete. What sort of comments might they make hurt or if the amount is trivial? Is it only Barcelona is Sonia’s first Olympics; however, about running? theft if a large amount is involved? tactical immaturity denies her a medal and †† (Read pp59-60): At Thurles Sonia is Create the response they might make to she vows to return better prepared. Sonia about running. devastated to lose and is only content The following year, 1993, the World when she finally beats Anita. Should 5. A Winning Feeling (Read p36) Championships are held in Stuttgart and running only be about winning? If you Sonia’s racing form looks promising. Sonia loves being part of a winning team, know that you are not going to win, why However, in the 3000m, the Chinese however, she struggles to express what a would you want to compete? What other athletes run as a team, taking all the medals winning feeling is like. benefits are there in competition and why while Sonia’s inexperience relegates her are these not rewarded nor recognized? Create an exciting poster using lots of again to a bitter fourth place. images and similes / metaphors to describe Determined not to be outwitted again, she ACTIVITIES the feeling for someone who has never enters for the 1500m and takes the silver, experienced it. splitting the Chinese team in the process. 1. Happiest (Read p7) bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zkygrj6 She is overjoyed. Sonia is happiest when she is outdoors examples.yourdictionary.com/metaphor- 1994 sees Sonia’s athletics star in the playing with her friends. examples-for-kids.html ascendant and she records her fastest times Describe the activity that makes you in the 3000m and the 1500m. happiest. 6. An Athlete’s Diet (Read pp38-39) At the European Championships in Helsinki Use the 5xW & H (who, what, when, When the girls want to stop at the chip shop, she finally translates her potential into gold where, why & how) template to share the in the 3000m. She is on top of the world. details of the activity; who you share it with Pat reminds them that they are athletes. Back in London, she eases herself into a

Sonia O’Sullivan 2 Teaching Guide comfortable training community to prepare family. 5. Insult (Read pp95-98) for the 1995 World Championships in Her mum, dad and sister have added Watching the race, the reporter from the Gothenburg. comments, pictures and cheerful advice to China Daily news agency initially feels great She decides to enter for the inaugural help her settle in. pride at the Chinese runners winning, then 5000m and after a tactically brilliant race, Make a copy of the card. outrage at the way the crowd responded she crosses the line in gold position. to ’s lap of honour and their Celebrating after the race, she has a faux pas 2. Yearbook (Read p75) interference with the coach Ma Junren. with an Irish flag and relies on John Treacy to It is customary for every new student to He writes a blistering report for the paper rescue her from a PR disaster during an RTÉ enter a short statement about themselves accusing them of great discourtesy and post-race interview. for the college yearbook. The statement racism. A successful series of races leads her to a explains who they are, what their ambitions Make a copy of his report and the headline second Olympic appearance at Atlanta. are and what they think that they will be he used. There are great expectations for this able to contribute to the college community. appearance, however, failure to appreciate Help Sonia to write her statement for the 6. Atlanta (Read pp119-120) the strain she has endured and her yearbook? When Sonia abandoned her race, everyone exhaustion from the regime she has been was shocked. following sees her crash to complete disaster 3. Team Ireland (Read pp79-80) Everyone wondered what had happened in both events. For every Olympics, the Olympic Federation and why she had done it. of Ireland design a new kit for the Irish Team. DISCUSSION POINTS It was front-page headline news both in This time they have asked schools to Ireland and globally. †† (Read pp71-72): Sonia is on a sport’s suggest a design for the athletes for the next In groups create a copy of those headlines scholarship at Villanova. Her college Olympics. pays her fees and she has to win races and opening comments from both the sports In groups, design a complete outfit for the for them. Why is success so important for and news reports and paste them as a collage team. them that they have to pay athletes from on a large sheet of paper. across the world to come there? Is this a What items should be included in the kit? How will the news and sports headlines and fair way to choose their students? Should the kit be identical for male and reporting be different? †† (Read pp95-98): Why did the crowd female athletes? react this way to the Chinese team. Were Apart from colours, can you design a logo Section 3 they being racist? Did Liu Dong deserve that best represents the ambitions of Team to be applauded? How might she have Ireland? Passing the Baton felt about the crowd’s reaction? olympics.ie Pages 126 - 180 †† (Read pp99-102): Sonia’s winning time is 8:31.84. In some races, the athletes’ times 4. The Race (Read pp83-84) SUMMARY are separated by hundredths of a second. As the runners come off the final bend with After Atlanta, Sonia seeks answers from This is a fraction of the time for a heartbeat. the finish in sight, Sonia is leading. However, the National Coaching Centre in Limerick. Can someone really be called a winner / on the straight she is passed by two Russians The answer is simple, she needs a rest. runner-up when they are separated by less and a Canadian and finishes a disappointing She has become close to her coach, Nic , than a heartbeat? In some cases, cameras fourth. and romance has bloomed. After another are needed to separate them because we Imagine that you are in the commentary box lacklustre performance in , they are unable to even see the differences. listening to the commentaries. decide to take a holiday together in Sicily. How can this be fair? Make a copy of the commentaries from the †† (Read pp97-98 & 110): After winning, A new, less intense training regime begins Sonia is expected to go on a lap of Russian, Canadian and Irish reporters. to show results and she decides to enter honour and wave to everyone. Why do Create it as three separate podcasts covering the World Cross Country Championships in the fans want her to do this? They have the last 10 seconds of the race. Marrakech. Despite her coach’s reservations, been entertained by watching the race. she enters for both races and harvests twin th She is only able to recognize who is Irish 5. 4 Place (Read p92) golds. She is back at centre stage. from the flag they carry. Why does she At Stuttgart, Sonia finishes fourth again and Her homecoming to Cobh is joyous and she need to run around the track waving to realizes that the feeling is hard to explain opts to run in a charity race instead of the strangers? to someone who has never experienced it traditional open-top bus celebration. †† (Read pp110-111): Sonia doesn’t carry a before. As the European Championships approach large Irish flag around the track and this That night she decides to write a short she is tempted to enter the 10,000m, a provokes a lot of negative comments. Why haiku poem to describe her feeling of distance she has never raced before. Not only does she need to signal her Irish identity in disappointment at missing a medal by such does she take the gold there, but she also takes this way? Is this really a sincere thing to do a slim margin. gold in the 5000m. All the disappointment or just something that is expected? Help her to write the poem? from Atlanta is now in the past. irishhaiku.webs.com Living in Australia and pregnant with their ACTIVITIES imaginationsoup.net/teach-your-child-how- first child, her life takes a new rhythm. 1. Good Luck (Read p66) to-write-a-haiku/ She resumes training gradually and enjoys poetry4kids.com/lessons/how-to-write-a- jogging while pushing the pram. When Sonia opens her suitcase that night haiku/ in Villanova, she discovers a card from her

Sonia O’Sullivan 3 Teaching Guide Sydney is buzzing with preparations for team’s outfit? Is this a sensible way to 5. Gabriela (Read p160) the Olympics and Sonia needs to record a enjoy sport? Sonia and Gabriela have managed to avoid qualifying time. A win in a 10,000m race each other, however, on the boat back to in Milan provides the perfect boost to her ACTIVITIES Stradbroke Island they come face to face. morale. The author thought that she might add a In the 5000m final Sonia comes off the bend 1. Look after Yourself paragraph here to describe their meeting a stride behind Gabriela Szabo, with the (Read pp128-129) and what was said. finish in sight finally in a position to achieve Sonia has failed to look after her health and Using the same style as the author, create her Olympic dream. the doctor warns her that she needs to rest. the paragraph describing the meeting. She takes the silver and is overjoyed. In groups, choose the three most important Determined to have a final attempt for areas of our health and highlight the best 6. The Torch (Read p173-174) advice you could give someone to make Olympic gold she enters for Athens four The torch is a powerful symbol of the sure that they are as healthy as they can be. years later. However, age and a bout of food Olympic ideals. For the next Olympics, poisoning conspire against her. Struggling Create three posters, one for each area the Olympic Federation of Ireland have and way off the pace on her final lap, she is and include the best advice in an easily organized a painting competition for Irish overwhelmed when the crowd rise to their remembered format. You could make a list schools. feet for a standing ovation for her. of key DOs and DON’Ts. The theme is Honours follow, including inclusion in the hse.ie/wellbeing/healthy-eating-for-families. ”What the Olympics means to me” relay of runners for the Olympic torch in html London 2012. She is also appointed as Irish Each entry must include a painting of the Chef de Mission. 2. Objection (Read pp138-140) torch and at least three statements of the ideals included as part of the flame. Standing in the Gyor Stadium Sonia watches After the race, Team UK lodge an objection, as another O’Sullivan, her daughter Sophie claiming that because Sonia did not run the Submit an entry? accelerates off the final bend to claim a last section of the race correctly, she should olympic.org/about-ioc-olympic-movement Junior European Silver for Ireland. be disqualified. The baton has been passed on. Sonia, as The officials only have a very short time to 7. Sonia and Sophie a previous champion, has the honour to adjudicate. (Read pp179-180) present the medal to her daughter, both of Divide yourselves into groups of 3, one to Sonia and Sophie are to be interviewed them beaming gloriously at each other. represent Team UK, one for Team Ireland together and they need to prepare. and one for the organizers In groups, prepare a list of five questions for DISCUSSION POINTS Each representative has 30 seconds to make each of them and then create the answers †† (Read p136): When she wins in their case and then the group must decide that they might give which will show what Marrakech, Sonia feels like a star again. giving their reasons. ambitions they may have for themselves and Why was this important for her? Why did each other. You can perform this for the class. she need media attention? What did this have to do with her running? What does 3. The Sydney Medal CLASS PROJECT it mean to be a star and why do people This story is part of a series of sporting want to be one? (Read pp165-167) biographies that offer the opportunity to †† (Read p156): Sonia wants an Olympic After her race in Sydney, Sonia had her explore a diverse range of topics from: medal more than anything. What photo taken and decided to write the result • Healthy diet makes an Olympic medal special? Is it on the back. • Importance of good social networks really special or is this just part of the She could have described the result in one • Good mental health media hype that surrounds it? How is of three ways: • Importance of resilience. an Olympic medal better than a World • I got an Olympic medal • Importance of positive self-image. Championship medal? • I got a silver medal †† (Read pp177-178): Sonia’s daughter • I came second You can use the sample worksheet here obrien.ie/media/SportingHallofFame.pdf Sophie has been selected for the Irish She also wrote an explanation for her choice. team. However, is she really Irish? She The focus of the activities asks the pupils to Make a copy of the photo and her comment. wasn’t born in Ireland. She lives in examine the qualities outlined for each of Australia and her dad is Australian. Is it 4. The Pram Run the sports people and prepare a proposal for fair to people who were born here that (Read pp153-154) them to be inducted into a fictional O’Brien foreign sports people are able to compete Press HALL OF FAME. When the newspapers learned that Sonia had for Ireland? What should the rules be to The activities also ask them to consider how begun training again by pushing a pram, one qualify for an Irish team? they themselves can aspire to inclusion, of the Irish papers published a lighthearted †† (Read pp174-175): Sonia has retired and encouraging them to identify and celebrate cartoon of her training and pushing Ciara at now runs only for enjoyment. Should their own strengths. sport really be about participation rather the same time to accompany the story. than competition? Do we encouraging Create a copy of the cartoon and give it a competition by watching it on TV or by comic headline and comment. buying a lot of merchandising? Does wikihow.com/Draw-Cartoon-Characters playing any game really feel more enjoyable if you are wearing a particular

Sonia O’Sullivan 4 Teaching Guide