Donegal Man on Top of the World
The recent world athletic championships in Berlin underlined the global star that is Usain Bolt. The link with Ricky Simms the Donegal man was heralded, indeed Ricky and his company P.A.C.E. had an outstanding championship, the group that he controls earning the number one spot. But the other aspect that was missed in all the hullabaloo was that this Finn Valley man now based in Teddington, London, coached two gold medallists namely Linet Masai (Kenya) the 10k winner, a race that brought everyone to their feet her winning time 30.51.24 a seasons best to Melkanu (Ethiopia) 30.51.34 just getting up on the time to take the gold. She had come on board at the P.A.C.E. training camp at Kaptegat in Kenya 2006 prior to the world cross-country that year in Mombassa and she medalled there in the junior race. She was introduced to the group by her older brother Moses.
Then later in the final days in the Olympiastadion Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) leading through 3k in 9.15.05 went on to hang on to take 5k gold n 14.57.97 to Kibets 14.58.33. That was particularly special as Vivian had been associated with Ricky in a coach/friend capacity since 2003 and not all the days shone as brightly as this one, and the Irishman’s delighted response was understandable. Into all that world class performance coaching impact include Linet Masais brother Moses Ndiema Masai a bronze in the 10k at 26.57.39 behind the man himself Bekelle 26.46.31 of course earlier in 2009 Kogo another of the athletes that has come under the wing of Ricky or Richard as we know him here at home set a new 10k road best performance of 27.01 breaking Geb Selassie s old mark. So to sum up it’s been one hell of a year for the agent/manager and world class coach. What’s the story then and how did a Donegal man from the village of Milford who began his connection with athletics when he attended the Royal and Prior School, Raphoe joining the local Finn Valley club put himself in this position?
Ricky with his brothers and sisters attended secondary school in Raphoe as referred to earlier was introduced to the sport by a young enthusiastic woodwork teacher Michael McGranaghan. They developed a team, won the Irish Schools and club titles heading up the road to Finn Valley A.C. where they encountered Patsy McGonagle. The young students’ enthusiasm for all things athletics was evident and he moved to U.U.J. studied sports science, returned to Finn Valley for his years work placement, became involved proactively in Irish University athletics and soon was to step into the big bad world, to Limerick where he worked with N.C.T.C. now Coaching Ireland and in 1999 to London to work for Kim Mc Donald. He learned fast, his energy and work rate obvious, helping out with world lead athletes in the group at that time. He was on the deck in Sydney for the Olympics still learning and most important always willing to soak up the coaching information and management support skills necessary. The sudden death of Kim McDonald changed the landscape, he was to learn of his sudden death while he was in a training camp in Kenya.
In the years that were to follow he, with his partners Marion Steininger, who also turned out on occasion to compete for Finn Valley A.C., and his other business partner Duncan Gaskell began to control the running and bringing all the expertise learned on the journey that began in East Donegal to here. He had become an A.A.I. accredited level 3 coach employed people from his home base at Valley Grainne O’ Dea and Enda Doherty and most obviously continued to show absolute support for his club.
The moral of the story is simple if you have the desire, the work ethic, and knowledge you most definitely can succeed. World Class Irish performance coaches are a rarity so mark this one down from the sport of athletics.
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