Podcasts

59: Padraig Marrey: Mad For Road With An Appetite For Adventure

ByJoanne Murphy |

Padraig Marrey from Mayo is a name synonymous with cycling not only in Mayo and Ireland but further afield. Padraig lives, breathes and embraces cycling from one end of the day to the other. From racing and race directing, bike packing to coaching, committees and volunteering he’s done it all and is one of the most committed advocates and ambassadors for the sport of cycling that you will ever come across. So much so you rarely see Padraig without a bike of some sort attached whilst he is telling you about the latest plan, challenge or initiative he is involved with.

As a youngster his bike was his mode of transport to get to school and his swimming lessons, the thrill of adventure and opportunity for fun started him on a journey for life that would see him start bike racing at the tender age of 14 in 1987 when Stephen Roche won the Tour De France.  A high performer in sport across boxing, running and rugby it was down the cycling path where Padraig really followed his passion for sport both as an athlete and coach.

He raced The Rás in Ireland 12 times within a 30 year period,  raced abroad for a period of time, holds multiple race titles and coaching accolades, is a race director for triathlon and cycling events and has recently completed an off road Everesting Challenge on the side of Croagh Patrick with some fellow cycling enthusiasts in Mayo. In addition to this he won Gaelforce in 2010 and was the All Ireland adventure race champion in 2011, the list of accolades and achievements are vast and diverse, his versatility as an athlete evident in his success in sport.

In some ways, the bigger and more obscure the challenge the greater the excitement for Padraig, however in 2014, Padraig faced his biggest challenge of them all.. a fight for life.  Thankfully he has come out the other side of this challenge and continues to inspire, encourage and motivate the people around him and beyond, young and old to enjoy the life long skill of cycling and all its joys and jubilations.

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