With the countdown to the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore well underway, Róisín Ní Ríain is firmly focused on the next step, and the one after that.

The Limerick teenager and Irish Paralympian is among the country’s most promising swimming talents, and we caught up this week as part of the Spar and EuroSpar unveiling as a primary commercial partner of Paralympics Ireland and the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

We discussed summer schedules, training routines, and why focusing on the present is just as important as long-term goals.

“Next up is the Nationals,” she said. “That’s the immediate focus. I’m looking to put in good performances there, enjoy myself, and use it as a springboard into the bigger competitions later in the summer.”

Ní Ríain, who combines elite-level swimming with her chemistry studies at university, described a summer of streamlined living.

“It’s a bit of a boring athlete life, to be honest,” she said with a smile. “Wake up, train, eat, nap, train again, then bed. That’s most days.”

With the college term over and the usual student buzz temporarily quietened down, training has become even more central.

“There are still seven of us in the house, including Ellie McCartney. Many of them are now off to competition, so it’s inspiring to watch them race. I’m hoping to carry that energy into my own performances.”

Ní Ríain also spoke about the training camps planned in advance of the long trip to Singapore, including a holding camp near the competition venue to aid acclimatisation and combat jet lag.

“It’s a long way to go, so that preparation is going to be key,” she noted.

One area where para sport is beginning to see positive change is in visibility, particularly through integrated events. While athletics has seen stars like Orla Comerford compete at Diamond League meets, swimming has yet to fully follow suit.

“I haven’t done any of those mixed events this year,” Ní Ríain admitted. “It’s something we’ll probably explore more next year. We were quite selective this season because of the bigger goals ahead, but it’s great to see Para sport gaining that kind of exposure.”

She recently competed in Berlin at a dedicated Para meet and came away with strong results. “I was quite surprised but really happy with how that went,” she said. “That competition gave me a lot of confidence.”

The psychological approach to elite sport also came under the microscope during the conversation. Ní Ríain is a firm believer in breaking the year down into manageable blocks.

“It can be overwhelming if you focus too much on the big end goal. So I like to set smaller targets — every day, every week, every month. Nationals are next, and then we’ll assess and build again based on that.”

And finally, with a summer of travel and competition ahead, Ní Ríain confirmed that academic life has also gone well.

“All passed,” she said with a laugh. “I’m officially a second-year chemistry student now.”

It’s clear that Ní Ríain’s ‘one step at a time’ philosophy is already paving the way for success, in and out of the water.

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