In the world of Athletics the name Pierce O'Callaghan is one that stands out. Raised in Ashbourne, O'Callaghan won 16 National Race Walking titles and would have represented Ireland at the Sydney Olympics were it not for injury.
It is probably his work since then that has made the most headlines. A member of the BLE management committee in 1998, he served as Athletics Ireland Press Officer, Events Manager with Scottish Athletics and head of communications with European Athletics, before setting up his own event management company.
For the last number of years Pierce has been Director of Sport at the inaugural European Games in Baku in 2015, Director of Operations for the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London, and Director of Readiness for the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. Not to mention his work at the Olympic Games, the most recent one being Tokyo last Summer.
Last May, Pierce became head of competition management for World Athletics with the goal of sorting out what was a very confused calendar. That is now pretty much sorted as Athletics fans look forward to an incredibly busy 2022 with the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon from July 15th-25th; the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, from July 28th to August 8th and the European Championships in Munich from August 15th to 21st.
However, it is his love for local Athletics that shines brightest. Living in Tuam with his wife Tamara and four children, Both Pierce and Tamara have strong links with Galway and Connacht Athletics and their work, and the work of the clubs around the province has led to incredible achievements both on and off the track.
John Mulligan spoke to Pierce about his work overall with a special emphasis on the sport in Galway and Connacht.
