Dan O’Connor

‘Turning up day in, day out, trying to control the simple things, and watching the results happen pretty much as planned is such a motivation.’

Away from triathlon, I’m PGA Head Professional at Maesteg Golf Club. It’s where I learned my craft while growing up, so the fairways feel like a home away from home. 

I recently became a Dad for the first time to our curious little boy, Niall Elis, so life has changed dramatically but certainly all for the better.

Spending quality time with family and friends is something that is incredibly important to me and it’s something I always make sure there’s room for in my calendar. Otherwise, come rain or shine, I love being outdoors experiencing everything nature has to offer. 

Golf is my mainstay sport. I started playing at 14 and I’m still playing now. I’ve played a number of other sports over the years, too, but when it comes to the love of the game, golf always comes out on top. 

I’ve competed at a regional level for a number of years, but I always find myself leaning towards the coaching side of the game. That’s really where my passion is. There’s a huge sense of achievement that comes from helping golfers of all abilities improve, whether it be a complete beginner getting the ball airborne, or a scratch golfer pegging it up to win. 

‘Lockdown stripped away a number of distractions and allowed me to concentrate on establishing great habits, not only in training but also in a more general sense.’ 

I ended up in the world of triathlon literally by accident. I had a weight loss goal in 2018 and found myself swimming and running to support that. Really there was only one thing to add to complete the puzzle! 

I’ve not had a huge amount of experience when it comes to racing, though. 2020 certainly held that opportunity up, although it did give me the chance to grow and find my ‘why’ in the realm of endurance sport. Turning up day in, day out, trying to control the simple things, and watching the results happen pretty much as planned is such a motivation. 

I love the simplicity of getting out what you put in. Although the training can be tough and demanding, I find myself striving for more because I know the results are not an ‘if’ but a ‘when’.  

2020 was a year spent building the engine. Lockdown stripped away a number of distractions and allowed me to concentrate on establishing great habits, not only in training but also in a more general sense. 

Being part of RÁS has really shone the spotlight on experiences and training environments being the cornerstone of consistency and we also have a hell of a lot of fun, which is never a bad thing! 

Focusing our training on cycling for most of the summer in preparation for Everesting certainly helped me to gain some valuable knowledge and experience which will transfer easily into the demands of triathlon. 

Everesting itself was such a special day. Weeks and months passed where I was questioning my ability to complete the challenge, but they were all brushed aside on that final rep of Wentwood. It certainly made me realise how intense the emotional ebbs and flows of endurance training can be, but it’s taught me lessons I can use in many other parts of my life, too. 

‘This year I want to become a better athlete as a whole and continue to improve wherever I can make improvements.’

I think 2020 changed my view on goals, rather than focusing on times or specific races I’m more geared towards simply becoming a better athlete year after year and results will be a product of that mindset. 

This year I want to become a better athlete as a whole and continue to improve wherever I can make improvements. Dan and I have identified a number of key areas to focus on over the coming months. 

Our recent physiology testing provided the clarity I needed; plenty of low-intensity training supplemented by a few tasty workouts here and there will make up the bulk of my training in the immediate future. 

I’m hoping to don the race suit for Ironman UK this July. All things considered, I’ll be dipping under 11:45. Before then, Covid permitting, we’ve planned in a number of CTT events, 50 and 100 miles so we can dial in the specifics.