‘It is everything. It is why I do this' – Tiarnán O'Donnell claims PR2 gold at World Cup regatta

Irish Independent

14-06-2025

In the two-and-a-half years since he accepted an invitation from the great Ireland pararower Katie O'Brien to switch from wheelchair basketball to rowing, O'Donnell (26) has excelled.
He took silver in the PR2 single sculls in two World Cup regattas in 2024, and the 26-year-old today won gold in Varese, with a dominant performance. He was the one Irish representative at this regatta.
'Rowing is a much different sport (to wheelchair basketball). I think a little bit harder,' he told World Rowing. 'Finally I got a gold!'
His family, gathered around him at the venue, cheered, and O'Donnell said the support they give is vital.
'It is everything. It is why I do this. Whether I get a bronze, a silver, or no medal at all, I do it for my family, so they can share this with me. It's really special,' said O'Donnell.
He said he could hear the crowd cheering him as he rowed. 'You usually only hear them for the last five hundred metres, but because they're Irish you hear them from 1,000 metres away!'
The PR2 is not a Paralympic or World Championship event. O'Donnell and O'Brien, who has been out of action this season so far, teamed up to take eighth place in the PR2 mixed double in Paris last year, and the Irishman hopes to compete in the PR2 double at the World Rowing Championships in September.
'(The) A Final is always the goal. And if we are fast enough, hopefully, a medal.'
After winning the preliminary race on Friday in a new personal best of eight minutes 41.8 seconds, O'Donnell said he wanted to set a new benchmark. 'The goal was 8:50 and I almost broke 8:40, so that's the goal [in the final],' he told Rowing Ireland.
He set off at 45 strokes per minute and reached his goal with plenty to spare. His winning time was 8:36.61, over six seconds ahead of young scullers from Uzbekistan and Turkey, who took silver and bronze.
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The determined Irishman overcame the loss of his right leg to excel at sport using a prosthetic.
'I was diagnosed with a rare tumour when I was very, very young. I battled it for 15 years,' he told the Irish Independent last year.
'Eventually, I made the decision I was finished with fighting. We had tried every option. I made a decision to amputate it. It's the best decision I ever made.'
He competed in a number of disciplines before his potential as a rower was spotted.
'I got a DM on Instagram from Katie O'Brien. She saw a photo of me at a blade-running [event]. She said 'I think you'd be great at rowing. You've a perfect body type for rowing, or whatever.'
'I didn't really consider it because I was playing international basketball at the time. She told me, 'come see me at the Irish Indoors (rowing championships) and see how I get on, I'll try and convince you'. She broke the world record that day!
'So I was, like, this girl is serious business. So I told her 'once I finish my degree, I will come rowing'. That's where the journey started.'