My advice would be to keep working hard and make sure you are enjoying what you do. It is very easy to get caught up with the stress of college and try to balance other factors such as friends and sports on top of that. I always try to go back to doing what I love and remember how much enjoyment I get out of the experiences I have had and this helps me stay focused and motivated in achieving my goals
In conversation with Irish Olympian and Trinity student Cillin Greene
We recently had the pleasure of sitting down for a chat with Olympian and Trinity student Cillin Greene to discuss his athletic career and life at Trinity College Dublin. Cillin competed in the final of the mixed 4 × 400 meters relay event at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Tell us about your background as an athlete.
I started athletics when I was 9 years old in Galway in my local area. When I started, I was still playing a lot of other sports such as football, hurling and soccer. When I was in secondary school, I decided to commit to athletics and try to make the Irish Team. Thankfully, my training paid off and has been my main sport ever since. I studied Law at DCU for four years where I was on a sports scholarship and this allowed me to progress as an athlete and develop into a more mature performer. Since then, I have had the privilege of running internationally for Ireland and it is something I have been extremely grateful for.
What is your daily routine?
My daily routine is quite standard. We do a lot of our training in the evening so I have to make sure I am up early each morning as I am usually too tired afterwards to do any more work! We do three track sessions and two gym sessions each week. Coupled with that, we have training like core and bike to do during the day so I have to work around this. I try to get to Trinity early each morning so I can get my work done throughout the day as my evenings are always quite busy. After training, I typically like relaxing and watching some Netflix to finish off the day!
What’s your favourite sporting memory?
My favourite sporting memory would have to be competing at the Olympic Games. This was something I have worked towards for years and it was hugely gratifying for it to pay off and to get to experience something so special with my best friends. We also performed very well at the Games so it is brilliant to be able to look back at both the experience in general and athletic performance and be happy with it all.
What’s your favourite memory of studying at Trinity College Dublin so far?
My favourite memory at Trinity is when the lights of the Christmas tree were turned on in Front Square. It was great for everyone to gather around with music and some pints and kick off the Christmas season. I had never really been to anything like that before so I thought it was really cool to see!
What do you feel is your biggest achievement to date?
Again, my biggest achievement would have to be running in the Olympic Final last summer. As we had all worked so hard leading up to the Games, particularly with Covid and managing my final year of study at the time, I was so grateful that it all worked out so well and we were able to enjoy the experience.
How do you manage attending college alongside being a successful athlete?
I feel having a good routine definitely helps with managing my academics and sport at the same time. It is something I have had to do from quite a young age so I am glad I have been able to figure out what works for me and how I like to plan my time. Additionally, having support structures like I have had this year in Trinity is a huge help! As we have to travel quite a lot and change our schedules sometimes, it's really important to have support from my lecturers and sporting staff who understand the position I am in.
What is your favourite item from the Trinity College Dublin gift store?
I really like the full zip jacket with the Trinity Campanile logo on it. I find the navy colours very nice and it’s a lovely jacket that seems to go with everything. The Campanile logo is also very distinctive so it is nice to have one of Trinity’s most landmark buildings on it!
