Sport
Lee: I’m looking at the positives… I have an extra year to train
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.
Sport
Jack O’Connor’s Kerry squad is looking deeper and stronger (but the proof will be in the eating)
As we reach the midway point of the 2025 season, Adam Moynihan takes a close look at Kerry’s strength in depth
As the Kerry players, management team and backroom staff huddled together for a photo with the Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh Cup in front of the Hogan Stand, one of the photographers raised his fist in the air, trying to illicit something resembling a celebratory scene. No joy.
Victory over Mayo had been secured in convincing enough fashion but winning the league has never been grounds for buoyant celebrations as far as Kerry are concerned. Retaining Division 1 status and unearthing some new talent is generally enough to tick the springtime box ahead of the serious business of the championship. Once that has been achieved, anything else is gravy.
Going by the disappointing loss to Armagh in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, the need for new blood was especially great heading into the 2025 season. The team faded badly down the stretch and into extra time against the Orchard County with overdependence on core players glaringly obvious. It wasn’t the only reason they lost but Kerry simply didn’t get enough from their supporting cast on the day.
With that in mind, Jack O’Connor knew he had to work on the depth of his squad during this league campaign, and you’d have to say he made a pretty good fist of it.
Starting in goal, the situation here is clear with Shane Murphy providing back-up to Shane Ryan.
Moving out the field, in recent years Kerry have generally gone with Jason Foley at full back, Tom O’Sullivan at left corner back, and one of Paul Murphy or Graham O’Sullivan at right corner back.
After making his debut in the league in 2024, Damien Bourke has emerged as a genuine right corner back alternative with some strong performances that have vastly enhanced his reputation. Not many Kerry players came out of the Dublin defeat with extra credit to their name but Bourke was brave and tenacious, bursting out of defence and using the ball wisely. He was replaced as a starter by the experienced Murphy in later rounds but the Tralee man capped his league with a goal off the bench against Galway in Salthill.
Dylan Casey also got extended game time in the absence of Tom O’Sullivan and he acquitted himself professionally. He has a solid head on his shoulders and you get the impression that Jack O’Connor would now be comfortable throwing him into any given situation without hesitation.
The versatile Graham O’Sullivan is also an option at corner back and it looks like he’ll need to slot in somewhere other than his natural position of half back as Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Gavin White are nailed on starters at 5 and 7. O’Sullivan lined out at half forward against Galway and Mayo, underlining his flexibility and importance to the team.
There could be a changing of the guard taking place at centre back with Mike Breen seemingly shaking off the injury woes that have held back his progress with Kerry to date. With regular number 6 Tadhg Morley unavailable for selection for most of the league, Breen slotted seamlessly into that crucial central role, and he looked really confident against Mayo on Sunday. As things stand, Morley will be doing well to displace Breen but either way Kerry should have two good centre back options heading into the summer months.
Midfield has been a head scratcher for Kerry for a number of years but in Diarmuid O’Connor and Joe O’Connor they appear to have found a winning combination. Diarmuid was playing the best football of his career up to his injury against Armagh in Round 6 so getting his shoulder right for championship is of paramount importance to Kerry’s chances.
Joe is a guaranteed starter too but his assured display at wing forward against Armagh was interesting in that it opens the door for a third midfielder to start. Seán O’Brien and Barry Dan O’Sullivan both applied themselves admirably when called upon in the league and the manager should feel like he can trust them more now than he did 12 months ago.
Joe O’Connor’s arrival as a half forward candidate has improved Kerry’s options to the extent that it’s difficult to predict how they will line out from 10 to 12 in the Munster Championship. Micheál Burns has done quite well upon his reintroduction to the team after being dropped from the panel in 2024, and Paudie Clifford is looking sharp at centre forward. Tony Brosnan and Dylan Geaney are options along this line too, although Dylan has been operating as a withdrawn inside forward to date – a role Tony is also capable of playing.
Of course, Seánie O’Shea will have to fit in somewhere in this department when he fully recuperates from his knee ligament injury, so it will be interesting to see how Jack O’Connor works this conundrum out. File under ‘good problems’.
Dara Moynihan is still recovering from a hip injury and has not yet featured in 2025. He would naturally be an option at 10 if he can get back up to speed. Meanwhile, Darragh Lyne, Ruairí Murphy and Cathal Ó Beaglaoich all featured at half forward in the league.
David Clifford and Paul Geaney will play at 13 and 14 with Dylan Geaney in pole position to start at 15 on the back of a really good run of form, perhaps excepting the league final in which he was relatively quiet. Tony Brosnan is a prime candidate to challenge Dylan for that spot; the Dr Crokes player has kicked some fantastic scores in each of his last three appearances as a substitute.
As for out-and-out inside forwards, Conor Geaney and Killian Spillane are likely to be used as impact subs.
All told Kerry do appear to have better depth than they had last year, particularly with the emergence of second season players like Bourke, O’Brien and Dylan Geaney as legitimate options, and with Breen beginning to fulfil his potential. Burns’ comeback and Joe O’Connor’s newfound ability to play the 12 position also help.
As always, though, the proof will be in the eating. We will have to wait for the suffocating heat of do-or-die championship matches to find out if this squad is as deep and dependable as it looks on paper.
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