Comerford takes rocky road from Dublin to Winter Games

Cormac Comerford was once on the same Gaelic football team as Con O'Callaghan, but fate pulled the two Cuala men in very different directions: one hit the heights at Croke Park, the other is about to hit the slopes in his first Winter Olympic Games.

Comerford grew up in the south Dublin suburb of Glenageary. He was a sporty kid, lining out for Cuala in both GAA codes, and playing rugby with Newpark Comprehensive in Blackrock. His mother's passion for sailing also meant he spent a lot of time on the water.

It was the trips with his auntie to Ireland's only artifical ski slope in Kilternan, Co Wicklow that stirred something in Comerford's soul.

He loved the individuality of downhill skiing, its niche status in Ireland appealing because it meant Comerford could hone his craft under the radar. "There was no noise around the sport, especially in Ireland," he says. "It was just me in my own world with the racing. That's what really pulled me in and kept me hooked."

"I've been qualified four times now, so it's due."

Inspired by the exploits of fellow Dubliner Shane O'Connor at the 2010 Winter Games (he finished 45th in the slalom), Comerford put everything into the dream. He achieved the minimum standard for the previous three Winter Olympics but Ireland's tight quota for athletes saw him overlooked.

Now, aged 29, his time has finally come.

"It's a big mix of pride and honour," smiles Comerford, who competes in four different events at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics: the downhill, Super-G, giant slalom, and slalom run.

"It's been a childhood dream of mine since I was very, very young. When I first put skis on up at the Ski Club of Ireland (in Kilternan), when I was about eight years old, I fell in love with the sport. Through the ski club I learned about racing, I got to watch Shane O'Connor at the Olympics in 2010, and that's when the seed was sown.

"It's amazing to be able to say that I'm heading to my first Olympics. I've been qualified four times now, so it's due."

There's an obvious disadvantage for a Winter Olympian who grew up in Ireland: we don't get much snow. Kilternan was a crucial facility that offered Comerford a gateway into the sport, but he's about to go up against athletes who were raised in ideal environments.

As Comerford says: "If you're a skier from Austria and you have a snow slope in your back yard, you're at a huge advantage because the surface is different, the conditions are different."

Still, the fact he's had to graft so hard just to get to this point is proof Comerford has formidable resilience.

Did he ever come close to throwing in the towel?

"Yes, multiple times. There are too many times to count. It's definitely been a challenging journey. There are so many obstacles in actually being able to even put your feet on snow, coming from Ireland. There's a huge amount of challenge there.

"There were a few turning points. I remember I went to university in DIT. My whole career was hinging on getting a scholarship there. Thankfully, they believed in me. I got the scholarship. I got some extra support. It was small, but it was enough to keep the dream alive.

"Usually, every two years, in the cycle of things, there's a drop-off in funding and attention, especially with the Olympics. There's a lot of national interest and investment from the International Olympic Committee. They have their Olympic scholarship, which is two years before the Games. Things really ramp up around the Olympics, which is a great help.

"At the same time, in between those periods, there's a big drop-off. It's always challenging to try and fulfil a four-year cycle for the Olympics. There's been many ups and downs, but where there's a will, there's a way."

A mechanical engineer by trade, Comerford says he was "always interested in building things and pulling things apart".

On Saturday, when he begins his Games in the downhill event in Bormio, perhaps he'll allow himself a moment to reflect on just how he's managed to put this dream together. Once you become an Olympian, no one can ever dismantle the accomplishment.

"When I was a small kid watching Shane O'Connor on the TV in 2010, I remember thinking to myself, 'imagine being able to ski like that, imagine being an Olympian'," he adds.

"I'd never let go of that dream. I always had the belief in myself. I've been qualified four times, so it was never a matter of, am I good enough? There was a lot about timing in this. I'm very proud to be able to say that I'm heading to the Olympics now."

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