Women in Sport: Olympic rower Aifric Keogh

Hailing from the West of Ireland and joining her first rowing club in her first year of secondary school at Coláiste Iognáid, Aifric Keogh has been competing ever since. Making history as one of Irish Rowing’s first women to win an Olympic medal when she picked up bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Aifric also won Bronze at the 2020 European Rowing Championships in Poznan, competing in the Women’s Four and going on to win Silver at the 2021 European Rowing Championships in Varese.

Aifric was part of the crew that qualified the W4- at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne.

Here, she shares her sporting story so far…

Name: Aifric Keogh

Profession: Full time athlete at Rowing Ireland

Earliest sporting memory?

Egg and Spoon Race at my primary school sports day. I definitely didn’t win.

How did you become involved in your sport?

I joined every club that I could when I went to secondary school to try and make some friends as I knew no one at my new school!

What message would you like to share with young women and girls interested in pursuing a career as an athlete?

Back yourself. It’s not going to be easy and there will be plenty of hurdles along the way.

Proudest moment so far…

Winning Ireland’s first Olympic medal in women’s rowing.

The female athlete I admire most is…

Serena Williams because although she has 23 Grand Slam titles, she has also been through so much along the way. She came back to sport after having a baby and serious health problems but still managed to get back to the top.

Favourite sporting memory?

Winning the Junior Irish Championships with my school team — my first big win as a rower.

Do you think there is still a stigma around women in sport?

I think it’s definitely improving in general. We train alongside the men’s team everyday and there’s definitely a lot of mutual respect. I think it depends on the sport but for rowing it’s very much an even platform in terms of funding, exposure and opportunities.

What is the biggest barrier to driving visibility in women’s sports?

Funding and media coverage. The 20×20 ‘If she can’t see it, she can’t be it’ national campaign was a huge shift in media coverage.

The biggest stigma/preconception that exists in women’s sport is…

That it’s not as entertaining as men’s sport. Some people believe the skill level isn’t as high and therefore doesn’t draw as many spectators or media attention.

If I wasn’t an athlete, I would be…

I genuinely have no idea! Still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up…

My favourite pre-competition meal is…

Something simple. Usually, a white roll with jam or Nutella.

My pre-competition playlist includes…

We usually have a group playlist in the team that we all contribute to. This year’s playlist is called ‘Qualification Station’ as we are aiming to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic games in the coming weeks.

My daily routine is…

Get up at around 7am for breakfast and then some mobility and stretching. First session is usually on the water at 8.30am. Back home for some food and a nap before I head back for session number two in the afternoon. Some days we will even stack an extra session in the evening too.

My biggest sporting goal is…

I try not to focus on the ‘big goal’ at the end of the season and more so focus on the daily wins of performing in each session.

Sports brands I love (Irish or otherwise)…

Queen B Athletics for casual and performance gear. It’s an Irish brand based in Cork. A special shoutout also goes to our in-house brand ‘Big Strong Girls’ which was developed by the Senior Women’s Rowing team, and we now sell our own kit alongside Powerhouse sport.

Biggest splurge to celebrate a win…

Not something I usually do but I bought myself a handbag after I came back from the Olympics.

How do you mind your mental health?

Making sure to switch off from training in the evenings. Rowing is important but your performance doesn’t define you as a person. I also try to spend some quality time with friends and family as much as I can.

My three desert island beauty products are:

Face SPF for sure. I’m really enjoying the Heliocare 360 factor 50 at the moment for training. I would also probably pick a good waterproof mascara and brow gel.

I need at least 7 hours of sleep a night because….

Otherwise I get stressed that I won’t be able to train properly! I usually get a 30 minute nap after my first session too.

Confidence, to me, is…

Trusting that the preparation and training you have done will stand to you in a race. Trusting yourself and your team to be able to perform to the best of your ability on the day of a race.

How do you get over a bad performance?

Don’t shy away from it. Be honest with yourself and your teammates about what went wrong and what you can learn from it. There are far more bad performances than good unfortunately but that’s where you learn the most. I usually reference the quote ‘Don’t let the good days get to your head and don’t let the bad days get to your heart’.

Lastly, why is sport such an integral part of community, on a club, local, national and personal level?

Sport can give a person so much. It’s a great way to be social while also being active. It can teach you a lot of tough life lessons along the way too. It brings people together and a good performance can lift the mood of a team, club and even a nation.