'My favourite piece of kit'

Southern Star sports journalist Seán Holland asks some of West Cork’s top sportspeople about their must-have equipment when it comes to training and competing.

FIONA EVERARD

ATHLETICS

My favourite piece of kit would be my Garmin heart rate monitor. I get testing done a few times during the year to find out what my heart rate should be for different types of sessions and I wear the heart rate strap in training to make sure I stay in the right zones. It makes it easier to know when I’m tired and when I should pull back in training if my heart rate is higher than usual. It’s helpful to know when I’m recovered and can push on a bit if my heart rate is lower. Over the last year I’ve started using it a lot more and will still wear it for recovery runs to make sure I’m running controlled.

FIONA KEATING

CAMOGIE

The Pulseroll percussion massage gun offers numerous benefits for people seeking relief from muscle soreness, tension, and fatigue. The massage gun enhances flexibility and range of motion by increasing blood flow to the muscles. It’s very useful during a sporting season when training loads are high and you have little recovery time. It is a quick and efficient way to recover and it requires minimal time. I would highly recommend the Pulseroll percussion massage gun in particular to anyone who is considering buying one.

FINTAN McCARTHY

ROWING

I’ve been using the Whoop device for years to track sleep, recovery and trends in training and life in general. You can wear it 24/7 to track activity and sleep. Using the journal feature helps track habits that affect how well your body recovers. It has a new strength training and AI coach feature this year which comes in handy for when you’re not sure what type of session to go for or needs tips/advice on how to keep improving.

PHIL HEALY

ATHLETICS

I’ve worn the Nike Pegasus runner right through my career. The best things about it is that firstly, it’s not too expensive but it’s also very comfortable and highly supportive for your feet when you’re doing any sort of running training. It would also be the type of running shoe I’d use when I’m training or walking. I would highly recommend it for those just walking or for people who are getting into running/gym.

MARK WHITE

GAELIC FOOTBALL

For me, my favourite piece of sporting kit are my gloves. As a goalkeeper, I’ve broken a couple of my fingers in the past. That’s why these gloves are so great, they provide stability for my hand and fingers and they have good and lasting grip which is the key when I’m using them 3/4 times a week during training and matches. Seismic GoalKeeper Gloves are very reliable and a reasonable price, and that’s why I like these gloves so much.

‘STAR’ PICKS

Southern Star staff members John Joe Walsh and Siobhán Cronin – an avid runner and swimmer respectively – tell us about their favourite pieces of kit.

John Joe Walsh

I love using a running vest whenever I head out for a run. It’s perfect for holding my phone so I can listen to music as well as tracking everything like distance etc. It also has smaller pockets for when I’m on a longer run I can carry gels to keep me going. The vest itself is adjustable so it fits seamlessly and you wouldn’t even notice it when you’re running with it on.

Siobhán Cronin

I AM completely obsessed with my Apple watch. You can set it to record either open water swims or pool swims and it tracks your pace and distance. The data is sent to my phone, along with a map of the route taken. I have subscribed to Apple Fitness which means I have a vast amount of other classes and brilliant coaches at my fingertips – and on my TV screen, which connects to my watch tracking my calorie burn and heart rate as I go. It means that on days when I can’t get in for a swim I can choose between yoga, core workouts, hiit, dance and loads more activities, to keep my fitness levels up even if I’m not swimming. I don’t know what I’d do without my trusty Apple watch!