Fit-again Devaney determined to rediscover the glory days
Thomas Devaney looked to have the world at his feet when helping Ireland's Men's U23 team win gold in the 8000m at the 2021 SPAR European Cross Country Championships. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Islandeady athlete Thomas Devaney is hoping to put an injury hit two years behind him and get back to full fitness and to racing once again.
At the end of 2022, it looked like the Mayo runner would be making his next big strides. In 2021, he was a member of the Irish men’s U23 team that won the European Cross Country Championships, with Thomas taking home a gold medal at just 19-years-old. He also finished second in the 5000m at the Ireland U23 Athletics Championships and won silver again in the same race the following year.
More gold would arrive in 2022 as a member of the Irish U23 that took home gold at the Celtic Cross Country event before he went on to set two UL Wolves records at that April’s Irish Universities Athletics Association Outdoor Championships as he took gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m races. However, issues with his hip, ankle and tibia saw him race only once last year.
“(Since the double) I've been on and off with different things,” Thomas told the . “I raced once last year, that was the university championships, came third there. I'm working with a great physio, Gary Coughlan, fantastic physio, and he's getting me back now so hopefully this is the end of it. It has been a really tough two years.”
Thomas added: “First thing was a hip issue that just kept coming back every time I went back running and it ended up just being some sort of weaknesses there that were just causing other issues.
“I had a stress fracture in my ankle that kept me out for a few months. And then I got back and I had another stress fracture in my tibia so I'm just coming back from that now.
“We think it's a stress reaction which is a little bit better but yeah, it's just been injury after injury.” As well as the physical pain, the challenges that came mentally were also difficult.
“I don't think it's a healthy thing but you definitely put your identity as your sport. I'm in college now, everyone knows me as the runner and when you can't do that you're sort of left thinking what else am I at? Now, it has been alright in terms of being in college and being busy but I remember during the summer it was really rough when you're used to just going out twice a day and training and you've lost that.”
Thomas, along with fellow young athletes Oisin Joyce and Clodagh Gill, were winners of the 2023 Martin Sheridan Bursary. He would receive €1,000 and it would be major help in the recuperation from his injuries because unlike in some other sports, there is no injury fund for him to access.
“It was probably more important than I thought it was going to be, just because I've had such a rough two years really with injuries.
“I remember when I got that award, I was sort of coming back from something and then I got injured again. I think athletics is probably a sport where there's not that much funding for someone like me. I've represented Ireland multiple times but there's no free physio or scans or anything like that to get taken care of for me. So that money turned out to be really important, just to even get me results on what was going on, never mind getting me back fit and healthy.
“I felt like I was at the top of my game just before all this happened. It'll probably be a long journey back but the fund definitely helps get some answers and then hopefully get back to that level.”
After being away for so long, he is targeting a marathon or half marathon in terms of racing as well as a change from track to roads. But for now, getting back to full fitness is his primary goal.
“I want to get back just fully trained and then I think I'm going to look at the roads, maybe a half marathon, maybe even a marathon next year. Everyone has said that's where I do my best running.
“Being gone from track for so long, I'm ready for a change I think. Everyone has always said the longer distances suit me. I think there's more opportunities on the roads as well.
“I've never been a track runner. You do it when you're growing up and then you sort of pick if you're going to stay on the track or move to the. It's definitely something I'm going to have to be conscious of with injuries though because it's more running, more training.”
