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Lee: I’m looking at the positives… I have an extra year to train

Published

6 years ago

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Killarney high jumper Jordan Lee talks to Adam Moynihan about adapting his training regime during the shutdown and his thoughts on the Paralympic Games being moved to 2021.

 

Well Jordan, how’s the lockdown going for you? Is it challenging to train and keep fit at the moment?

It’s okay. I’ve kind of adapted everything that I have around me to suit my own training regime. I’m staying in my father’s house at the Brehon Apartments in Killarney and I’m very grateful to have access to the Gleneagle Pitch & Putt course, which is literally right on my doorstep.

I can do very technical high jumping drills on the grass, I can do hill sprints, I can do tempo runs… I can do lots of different things there.In terms of gym work, I’ve been using two wheelie bins as a squat rack. My two main lifts in the gym would be the Bulgarian split squat and quarter squat so if I wasn’t able to do those and actually jump over a bar all at once, all of my explosive power would go dramatically and very quickly. I’ve also got my own Olympic bar, a couple of dumbbells, and a med ball, so there’s a wide variety of things I can do.

I’m actually doing alright to be honest. The only thing I can’t replicate obviously is jumping over a bar, but I’m managing away.

On a personal level, how are you finding being at home all the time?

The hardest thing really is that I normally live with my mother (Mary Buckley), my stepfather (Dermot Buckley) and my younger brothers and sisters in Killorglin but we made the decision that it would be best for everybody if I stayed in Killarney for the time being. We were cautious of me going out training, getting the coronavirus and spreading it to other people in the family.

That’s one of the sacrifices I’ve had to make – I haven’t been able to see my mother or my stepfather or my younger brothers and sisters. But it had to be done because I have to get my training in.

I’m finding that the days are going by pretty fast. I have two sessions a day. When I get up in the morning I always start off by doing my usual core routine and stretching, then I might do a couple of 8x40m hill sprints and I follow that up with a gym session. Then I go for a jog down to the lake, which is 1.5km away, and I come back and do my recovery work which would take an hour and a half. So, realistically, I’m getting five to six hours of training in a day.

That’s taking up a lot of my time but apart from training, I’ve been playing a good bit of PlayStation. And Facetiming a couple of friends - I’d be lost without that.

You had been preparing for the Paralympics in Tokyo in August but they’ve now been pushed back to 2021 because of COVID-19. What did you make of that decision?

It was something that I kind of expected so when the announcement was made, I wasn’t surprised to be honest with you. It’s completely understandable that the games have to be pushed back. People’s safety has to come first.

Obviously it’s disappointing, but I’m looking at the positives. I have an extra year to train and to get better and improve myself.

That was my next question. Could the extra year actually end up benefiting you in the long run? Because, although you’ve already achieved an awful lot, you’re still relatively new to the sport.

Definitely. I agree. Look, what I’ve been saying is that it’s a new date, but the mission remains the same.

Any message or advice for people on how to get through this difficult time?

I put up an Instagram post on St Patrick’s Day and what I said was, “We can’t control the situation but what we can control is the way in which we react to it”. This will all pass by at some stage. Keep that positive mindset that we’ll all get through it together. We just have to stay patient and trust the process.

 

Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile.

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Home cup tie for St Paul’s could be epic

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2 weeks ago

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7 November 2025

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Paudie O’Connor National Cup (Round 1)

Utility Trust St Paul’s v GCU Brunell

Saturday 7.30pm

Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre

The St Paul’s women’s team will be hoping to get their National Cup adventure off the ground on Saturday when they welcome 2024 champions Brunell to Killarney. Tip-off in the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre is at 7.30pm.

Paul’s have displayed some fine early season form, although their unbeaten start in the Super League came to an abrupt end last weekend when they lost to the Trinity Meteors in Dublin. James Fleming’s side weren’t at their best on the day but they were well in contention heading into the final quarter with the scores at 47-45 in favour of the hosts. The Meteors pushed on in the fourth, however, eventually running out 63-53 winners.

St Paul’s scorers on the night were Maisie Burnham (13), Tara Cousins (12), Lorraine Scanlon (12), Lovisa Hevinder (9), Denise Dunlea (5) and Leah McMahon (2).

The Killarney club are now joint second in the table alongside the Meteors with both teams holding a 4-1 record. Killester are top having won each of their first five games.

Paul’s opponents on Saturday, Brunell, have won three out of five league matches so far.

LAKERS

The Utility Trust St Paul’s Lakers have now won three of their last four games in Division 1 of the Men’s National League following an impressive home victory over Moycullen in Killarney.

Eoin Carroll and Jack O’Sullivan made significant contributions of the Boys in Black; Carroll hit 17 points and collected 13 rebounds while O’Sullivan had 14 points, 12 rebounds and some spectacular blocks.

Steve Kelly posted 30 points and the durable Sam Grant played every second, adding 21 points along the way.

The Lakers started well before the visitors found their footing and the sides went in level at the half-time break after scores by home captain Carroll. There was still nothing to separate the teams entering the fourth quarter (68-65) but buckets by Carroll, Pablo Murcia and Grant opened up a nine-point lead. Moycullen fought back admirably, however, cutting the deficit to just four, but Luke O’Hea’s charges held firm to prevail by eight (88-80).

Next up is a cup tie against the Tipperary Talons, a side they defeated by 30 points just a couple of weeks ago. The cup can be very different to the league, though, and they will need another solid performance to advance to the next round. Tip-off in in Killenaule is at 6.30pm on Saturday.

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Chances of Kerry v Cork Munster final in 2026 decrease as Munster GAA delay seeding plan

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2 weeks ago

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7 November 2025

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After facing a backlash from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipperary players, Munster GAA have postponed their plan to keep Cork and Kerry separate in the 2026 Munster Football Championship.

The new seeding system – which gives the two highest ranked Munster teams in the National League byes to separate semi-finals – will now come into play in 2027, twelve months later than initially planned.

This will give Clare and Limerick a chance to earn promotion to Division 2 of the league, potentially overtaking Cork if the Rebels were to get relegated to Division 3.

Despite traditionally being the two main contenders for Munster football honours, Kerry and Cork haven’t met in a provincial decider since 2021. The Kingdom have won each of the finals since then (one versus Limerick and three versus Clare) by an average margin of 15.75 points.

More high-profile Kerry v Cork finals might be desirable for fans of those teams, businesses in Killarney and Cork, and neutrals alike but Munster GAA’s plans to effectively keep the great rivals on opposite sides of the draw understandably drew criticism from the other participating counties. A statement by the GPA confirmed that players from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipp had met via Zoom to discuss the matter. They were said to be “deeply disappointed and concerned” by the decision.

The 12-month delay will at least give two of those disaffected teams an opportunity to benefit from the new seeding process.

The draw for the 2026 Munster Football Championship will take place on November 27 under the old rules. As 2025 finalists, Kerry and Clare will get byes to the last four (but they will not necessarily be kept apart).

Nine members of Kerry’s squad are up for All-Stars at tonight’s awards ceremony in Dublin with Joe O’Connor and David Clifford also in contention for the prestigious Footballer of the Year award.

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