“Our Olympians give us a face, a heart, a story to be proud of.”
So says Jacqui Hurley in the voiceover to the extended promo for the Road to Rio, a six part feature starting on RTÉ2 television next Wednesday night and running for six weeks.
The programme is produced by Strike Films who created ‘London Calling’ in similar vein ahead of the last Olympic cycle and we will be catching up with Dhruba Banerjee for a behind the scenes perspective on the programme as it unveils the story of some of this travelling to Rio in August.
Michael Conlan from the boxing team will be one of those most likely to contend for a medal alongside Rob Heffernan in the walk, Cian O’Connor in Show jumping and Natalya Coyle in Modern Pentathlon.
Join Ryle Nugent and other leaders from the world of Sports Broadcasting on Thursday May 12th for a Sport for Business Breakfast Debate at the Studios of RTÉ on The Future of TV Sport. Click Here to reserve a place.
For others their achievement will more likely rest in running faster, jumping higher or breaking their own personal record on the stage of the greatest show in sport.
They do not train any less or put their life on hold to a lesser extent than this who will medal and they will be there, giving themselves, and their country the chance of a gold, silver or bronze memory that will define their lives.
We were fortunate enough to sail with Ryan Seaton and Matthew McGovern who feature in their 49er class sailing on a Providence Resources sponsor day last year and if their wit and humour shines through in the programme that will be a winner itself.
Sarah Lavin, Paul Pollock, Fiona Doyle, and Jack Wooly will also reveal the effort they have put into making it to Rio while it will be interesting to see if the cameras were rolling when Martyn Irvine decided to call a halt to his international career in cycling.
We look back on six themes that captured our attention at London 2012
The quality of sporting documentary being produced in Ireland has soared in recent years. RTÉ broadcast the two part Toughest Trade in March, giving extra promotion for the AIB Club Championships sponsorship but without compromising at all the art of good storytelling.
‘Skin in the Game’ and ‘Coming Out of the Curve’ are two more to have gone beyond the white lines in giving wonderful insight to what makes sport so special, while the Setanta documentary Being AP on Tony McCoy captured perfectly the mental and physical torture of staying at the top until the moment came when it could no longer continue.
ESPN may still lead the way with it’s benchmark 30 for 30 Series. If you’ve never seen them, treat yourself, but Ireland is not far behind now.
Here what the Road to Rio promises, we’re looking forward to the journey…
