Treble World Masters Rowing gold for McDonald
By Thomas Conway
There is no perfect formula for preparing to scale Carrauntohill and row a marathon atop the summit. Most experts would suggest rest. Instead, Moneygall rower Ken McDonald chose to travel to Banyoles, Spain, where he secured a hat-trick of gold medals at the World Masters Rowing Championships last weekend.
An extraordinary feat, on top of the other extraordinary feat that he’s set to perform this Saturday - in aid of the children of Gaza.
As you might imagine, Ken is in an ebullient mood in the wake of his successes in Catalonia. The 52 year-old returned home with no less than three gold medals, swishing to victory in several races across two disciplines - the men’s 4 and the men’s 8. Humble and unassuming, Ken paid tribute to his teammates, all of whom were over the age of fifty and included a seventy year-old among them.
“I had a good crew around me, in fairness, we had a really powerful race in the four. It was close in the end, but it was an exceptional race. It really was very fast,” he said.
He describes the intensity of the racing as “frantic”, detailing how athletes were almost getting sick off the side of the boat, such was the physical strain. But he and his colleagues are used to this level of competition. All of them are seasoned rowers. Indeed, more or less everyone competing at the World Masters is an experienced, elite-level athlete, including, he says, some former Olympians.
“We’re a group of former Irish champions that came together,” he continued.
“We were racing against former Olympians and world champions. And that’s really what the World Masters is. It’s all former international athletes that come together to race.”
He had raced in Banyoles before, once in 2004 in the World Senior Championships. Conditions were perfect last weekend. It’s an idyllic spot, he says, which hosted the rowing events at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Asked whether the physical toll of last weekend affected his preparations for next Saturday’s charity rowing marathon, he responds by explaining that he did a 10km hike in Moneygall on the Monday he returned. The competition was tough, he adds, but he’s been preparing for this for months.
“I’ve been training hard for this all the time, so I know what my limits are, and I know what I can do,” he added.
“This is my fifth or sixth Masters World Championships, so I know the commitment involved and I know how physically taxing it is.
“I’m in good shape ahead of Saturday. We’re doing well with donations. I contacted the guy from Carlow Weather, and he said the weather might be ok. So, I’m looking forward to it.”
His focus is now firmly on Carrauntohill. Donations are flowing in, and many people have pledged to contribute. He’s even enlisted the help of some former rugby stars. Ex-Munster player Donnacha O’Callaghan posted a video message in support on social media; Peter O’Mahony is set to do the same.
Ken has a string of world records to his name. He now has three more World Championship golds. But his fundraising efforts are what’s really important, he says.