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"Luke, totally unprompted, went off to camp this morning wearing the full Cork kit," says his mother, "but he’s cute enough. When he was going to the hurling semi-final, he was wearing Limerick shorts and a Cork jersey so that mummy and daddy would both be happy."
For Hurley, sport is also about empowerment, instilling self-confidence and belief. Her brace of best-selling books, Girls Play Too (2020) and Girls Play Too: Book 2, chronicles of successful Irish sports women, highlighted that message.
"When I talk to young people in schools, especially young girls, it’s not about selling them the dream of playing for Ireland or Cork; rather that time spent in sport can help change your life."
It's certainly Hurley’s story, with Paris her fourth Olympics, following London, Rio and Tokyo. "Anything can happen," she says of past Games. "We had Pat Hickey (the President of the former Olympic Council of Ireland) being arrested at Rio in 2016 and the craziness of the pandemic pushing Tokyo to 2021, but you roll with whatever comes your way and are ready for it. I was in Rio when I got a phone-call saying that Oliver Dingley had made the final of the 3m individual springboard. It was my first time at a diving event but with limited resources, you must be flexible. I enjoy learning on the hoof and experiencing something completely different. God only knows where I might pop up reporting from in Paris, but I’ll go wherever I’m needed. And hopefully, there will be magic along the way."
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She lists some of her Olympic high points to date. Katie Taylor winning gold in London in 2012, contrasting with the anguish of Rob Heffernan finishing a cruel fourth in the 50km walk in the same tournament (he was later upgraded to bronze, Hurley presenting the medal to him at a ceremony in Cork City Hall in 2016).
"Our best ever Olympics was London 2012, where we won six medals, but I think that we might surpass that this year," she says. "I can’t recall having this excitement around an athletics team since the days of Rob Heffernan, Derval O’Rourke, Olive Loughnane and David Gillick, which was seen as the Golden Age. In Rhasidat Adeleke, we have a global star but there’s also Ciara Mageean, the relay team, the boxers, the rowers and the equestrian. Also Rhys in gymnastics and the Rugby Sevens. It’s going to be great, and I can’t wait."
Last January, Jacqui Hurley turned 40. For her 37th birthday, she celebrated by doing 37 challenges (including blindfold tasting of food chosen by her children). Were there 40 challenges this year? She laughs.
"I had planned on doing them but ended up having a huge birthday party in Copper’s nightclub in Dublin, an ’80s-themed bingo loco event. I’m going to see Adele in Munich later this summer and there are a few other bucket list items to be ticked off. I don’t ever want to feel that I have regrets. Sean never got to complete his bucket list so now I just do all the things that I want to do. So yes Donal, I’ll be treating myself for the rest of the year. While parenting can be challenging, the kids are the greatest craic to be around. Doing things with them is what life is all about."
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