A world champion, and probably the most positive person we've ever spoken to, Rob Heffernan tells us about success, enjoying it and how he is plotting for much more.
When we catch up with Rob Heffernan, he’s out on a bike ride in a Cork forest. We ask the world 50k walk champion is this part of his training or if he is still taking it easy after his Moscow success in August.
Rob advises us that he is still taking it easy, before adding that he had attended a spinning class, and a TRX class, before heading out for the bike ride. That’s what he calls ‘ticking over’. Most of us would call that a week’s worth of exercise.
And that’s the difference. That’s how you get to be world champion, and more importantly, that’s how you stay there, which is Rob’s next goal.
Anyway, here’s what the Cork man had to say on walking on the Croker turf, sharing a Twitter account with his wife Marian and what he plans to do next.
JOE: Have you come down from the high of your Moscow success yet?
Rob Heffernan: I can’t comprehend the impact it has had. Every day I expect it to go away but it hasn’t. Every day there are new people coming up to me. It’s just great. I’m really enjoying it.
JOE: And did the success in Moscow make up for all the near misses over the years?
RH: It did, and to be honest with you, I’m still a bit uneasy saying I am world champion out loud. I was over in Spain where I train and people there were saying to me ‘You’re world champion’ and I found myself crossing my arms and being a bit uncomfortable about it. It takes some getting used to. But it is great.
JOE: We all saw you walking on the Croke Park pitch during the All-Ireland hurling final, Part I. How was that experience?
RH: Honestly, it was on a par if not better than getting the medal on the podium in Moscow for me. To have both sets of fans give me a standing ovation was unbelievable. I had shivers down my back and going up into my head. I couldn’t believe it. To just hear the noise was unreal.
I was just hoping to myself, this better not be as good as it gets. It all has to be downhill after this [laughs].
JOE: And you have had lots of contact with people since Moscow.
RH: I’ve had lots of letters, some very poignant letters, from people. I’ve said before that I think sport can bring people together and it a great positive in people’s lives. I know as I got more professional, I got better results and there is no reason why all Irish people can’t improve. I believe we have the best sports people in the world.
In other countries people go pro at 23 but in Ireland it is often not feasible due to financial constraints, kids, whatever and they drop off.
I don’t think facilities are a problem now. It’s infrastructure and marrying together the bits we have. Down here in Cork we have loads of places. Forests, golf courses, lots of places to run. There’s the Mardyke, CIT; Castlemartyr Lodge; there’s great potential for a High Performance Unit around here.
JOE: Tell us about your wife Marian, and how important she has been to you
RH: When I started going out with Marian eight years ago I had a double hernia, I was living on my own in a room in Carrigaline and I was very, very low. I had no money, I had nothing. This fella offered me sponsorship to go to Germany and get my injury sorted and I wouldn’t ask him for the money, out of pride.
Marian said to me ‘You’re Rob Heffernan, you know’ and I was thinking I was just a bum. From then she was always a great driver for me. And as I was getting better it spurred her on in her own career (Marian was a 400m runner until she stopped last year).
She’s brilliant support.
JOE: And how does having a joint Twitter account with Marian work?
RH: Marian is at me to have one of my own but I think it is positive. Marian gets the odd private message from admirers that I have to look after but there’s none for me so far. I think my photo puts them off and most 60-year olds aren’t on Twitter [laughs].
JOE: Have you watched Rocky IV since you got home?
RH: I have but I’m trying to come down off the high of Moscow [more laughs].
JOE: So what are the goals now? When does the real work start again?
RH: As I said, I’m just ticking over now. People have said to me to take a year off and enjoy it but I think that’s a bad mentality. When you are at your top, you can enjoy that time but everyone has to go back to work.
I’m looking forward to going back training. I’m looking at those in my sport who have been consistently good for six, seven, eight years and trying to see what did they have? Last year after London I thought there is no reason why I can’t beat Sergey Kirdyapkin and now I have. There’s Paco Fernandez who won eight medals in eight years before he took a dip. Jefferson Perez dominated. Then there are other fellas who won major titles and then dipped. I don’t want to be one of them.
That’s my motivation, and I always have the safety net of being world champion but now I want to cement my status. I’m going to prepare for the Europeans next year but I’ll take nothing for granted.
JOE: And apart from the spinning, the TRX and the bike, what else are you doing to tick over.
RH: Ah I’m doing a bit of running, a bit of race walking on the treadmill and a few weights. I can feel myself going soft, the tone is gone. There’s nothing worse than a fat skinny fella! I’m very conscious of it. You’re so confident when you are fit but now when I take off my top I notice it. I’m just staying healthy and it is different to training.
JOE: Well thanks for taking a break from your exercise to chat to us, it was a pleasure.
RH: No bother, any time.
Rob spoke to us thanks to Lloyds Pharmacy
