In this instalment of our Women in Sport series, Ellen Walshe shares her sporting inspirations, goals and proudest achievements.
Ellen Walshe is a standout swimmer and an Olympic finalist who broke eight Irish records across four events at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest in December 2024. Her ongoing success at the international level continues to make her one of Ireland’s top swimming talents.
Name:
Ellen Walshe
Profession:
Swimming
Earliest sporting memory?
My earliest sporting memory is probably going to gymnastics every Sunday morning as a young child. I don’t think I was a big fan of going either, but I was also active from a young age.
How did you become involved in your sport?
I learned to swim in Templeogue swimming pool at the age of 4 years old and I guess I haven’t really left since.
What message would you like to share with young women and girls interested in pursuing a career as an athlete?
Try out everything and you might find an interest or love for the sport, while also meeting friends along the way. Dream big as you never know what’s around the corner.
Proudest moment so far…
Walking out to my Olympic final in the 400m is my proudest moment in my career so far.
Favourite sporting memory…
My favourite sporting memory is standing on the podium winning my first world short course senior medal, as medals don’t come very often, so it is important to enjoy the moment.
Do you think there is still a stigma around women in sport?
Yes, there probably still is stigma across a lot of sports. I don’t think swimming is the worst, as competitions run heats of women and then separately, heats of men.
If I wasn’t an athlete I would be…
I would like to say something in the medical field, but I’m really not sure.
My favourite pre-competition meal is…
My favourite meal before I race is something plain with rice or chicken, nothing too complex.
My pre-competition playlist includes…
I don’t really have a playlist for competition; it’s just a bit of everything, maybe more towards country music.
My daily routine is…
It’s different every day and really depends on what I have on, but it looks something like this.
- Wake up around 6.30/7
- Training 8.00-10.00
- Gym 10.00-11.00
- Work 12.00-16.00
- Run 17.00
- Dinner 19.00
- Bed 21.00
My biggest sporting goal is…
My biggest sporting goal is to hopefully make another Olympic Games and qualify into a final and see what happens…
Sports brands I love (Irish or otherwise)…
Bound Apparel or Lululemon.
Biggest splurge to celebrate a win…
My biggest splurge to celebrate is a meal out somewhere. I love going out for food.
How do you mind your mental health?
I would say for me it is working out and also getting out in the fresh air for a run or walking my dogs – that is how I mind my mental health.
My three desert island beauty products are:
Fake tan, moisturiser, lip balm.
I need 6-9 hours of sleep a night because…
Sleep is so important for recovery from the previous day’s work and to make sure I’m healthy and ready for another day. Recovery is huge for me, and I like to invest in my recovery routine. I am currently being sponsored by Mater Private Network and their support has meant that I can avail of different recovery methods like physiotherapy when needed. I balance this with other methods like health spas and saunas, as well as mobility work. This means I have a holistic approach to recovery, as well as enjoying some of it, especially the saunas!
Confidence, to me, is…
I would like to say confidence to me is knowing I’ve done the work to compete at these big competitions and believing I belong there.
How do you get over a bad performance?
It’s part of the process that happens in sport and to every athlete, but for me I will try to take something from it and move on to the next one, and try not to be too hard on myself.
Lastly, why is sport such an integral part of community, on a club, local, national and personal level?
Sport is an amazing way to try new things and make friends along the way.
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