On today’s episode, I’m chatting with an Irish professional triathlete, coach and founder of the #prison2pro programme. Growing up in Darndale, this week’s guest had dreams of becoming a professional footballer. Despite being faced with massive adversity, at age 15 he was scouted to play in Scotland where he was offered a youth training scholarship. Just six months into his time there, his future was shattered when he received the call from home telling him his father had been sentenced to prison for manslaughter. Returning to Ireland, he found himself in an impossible situation, being left to care for his five siblings without any parental guidance. Under threat in the community, he turned to a local criminal gang for protection and to put food on the table for his family. In 2013, this led to a two year prison sentence for drug offences. Leaving prison and witnessing the death of his close friend, he realised it was time to break the cycle and look towards creating a brighter future for himself and his family. Surrounding himself with positive people, one day he went to watch a triathlon and well, the rest is history. Now a professional Irish athlete and coach, he is hoping by telling his story he’ll inspire others to change their generation too. Here’s what it’s like to be Ger Redmond.
For more information on Ger's coaching programmes, visit https://gerredmond.com
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