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24-year-old Irish canoeist Liam Jegou actually spent majority of his life in France after moving to Brittany with his family. “I wasn’t too happy about it. Neither was my sister because first of all I didn’t have a word of French at that time. In school it was a bit complicated. I couldn’t understand a word of what they were saying. I stayed back a year in school because of it. I was known as the ‘Irish kid’ all the way through school and until now,” he remembers.

 

He first played rugby and Gaelic football, but later switched to canoeing and followed his father’s footsteps. “I was in a boat at the age of four so he didn’t hang around but when I was14 dad decided to bring me and a couple of others in the club to these races in Slovenia. I managed to win both races in those team cups and when that happened I thought maybe I can pursue something here. Maybe I can live the dream,” explained his beginnings.

 

Two years ago Liam moved to Pau to train in the well-known canoeing centre. The move paid off as winner of Junior and U23 Worlds bronze medals managed to qualify for his first Olympic Games. “I dreamed about going to the Olympics for a long time. The dream is just pushed back a little longer. It means I can enjoy the experience a little longer. I’ll be two years on Team Ireland,” he concluded.