Jack Woolley was on the media beat yesterday talking about what it was like coming home from the Paris Olympic Games.
After the rush of competition and the years of preparation, the comedown from such a high can be brutal and while Woolley admitted to enjoying the odd takeaway on a short break from training, that was a rare bright spot in a tough period.
The Taekwondo in Paris had taken place in the fabulous setting of the Grand Palais, in front of a packed crowd, a far cry from his first experience in Tokyo.
Sport at this level is tough though and the spotlight shifts quickly once the competition is done, leaving athletes to cope with their own reflections of what they might have done differently to come home with a medal.
The Sport Ireland Institute has a world leading programme in place for dealing with the mental side of the aftermath of competition and we will be running a feature on this in the wake of the Paralympic Games.
It is a side of getting ready to compete that runs counter to the positive mental attitude that is to the fore in getting ready but it is all the more important for that.
Wooley admitted to feeling low on his return home but it helped to reach out to others in the same boat.
He is a young man but has a wise head on his shoulders and recognising the need to do something is an important part of getting through these times.
He is on a short break but has a World Grand Prix in China to prepare for in december so the taste of the takeaway will not linger.
The hunger to get back on the mat will see to that.
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Jack Wooley
