AS AN INTERNATIONAL athlete, Mark English has got an opportunity to travel the world.
The Letterkenny native will take part in the 800m at the Olympic Games in Rio next summer but in his latest Sky Sports blog, reveals his favourite place for a run is on his doorstep following a recent trip home last month.
“Meeting the family and catching up on news was followed by a trip to Portsalon Beach,” English says. “It’s a gem. The view from the top of Knockalla, overlooking the crescent shaped beach, provides the most perfect background for a run.
“I have been lucky enough to run in some beautiful venues around the world, but the Wild Atlantic Drive around Portsalon still beats them all. There’s a reason the Knockalla rally race course is famous and it has a lot to do with the beautiful surroundings.”
The view of Portsalon beach from Knockalla
Twenty-two-year-old English, who yesterday was named as Athletics Ireland Under-23 Athlete of the Year, also spent time in Paris in October, where he and his girlfriend Emma took in all the sights.
English, who thanks University College Dublin Medicine Programme Board for enabling him to focus on the Olympics by allowing him to sit his Stage 4 Medicine over two years, was horrified to learn of the terrorist attacks on the French capital two weeks’ ago.
“Unbridled evil was unleashed on this beautiful city, a city revered for enduring values of human progress, a city we had both enjoyed so much only two short weekends ago,” English adds.
“Feeling somewhat powerless, I texted Pierre-Ambroise Bosse – my great 800m French rival – to extend my sympathy to him on this unreal tragedy.
“The bonds of “liberté, égalité et fraternité” are values we all care deeply about.”
Mark English is a Sky Academy Sports Scholar and click here to read his Sky Sports blog in its entirety.
