Balancing sport, education and a self-funded international pathway

Two young athletes from Keadue are continuing to make their mark on the international stage in modern pentathlon and tetrathlon, alongside balancing education, multiple sports and the realities of competing in a largely self-funded discipline.

Grace and Emily Quinn compete in modern pentathlon — a demanding multi-discipline sport combining swimming, fencing, running, laser shooting and obstacle course racing (OCR).

While they line up against athletes supported by well-resourced programmes abroad, pentathlon in Ireland remains unfunded at youth level, with all training, travel, equipment and competition costs borne by athletes and their families.

High-performance funding was also cut during the current Olympic cycle, increasing the financial burden on those pursuing the sport.

The Quinn sisters finished 2025 strongly. Grace claimed gold in the 200 metres freestyle at the Connacht Short Course Championships, alongside silver medals in the 100 metres freestyle and 200 metres individual medley, and bronze in the 50 metres freestyle.

Emily also closed out the year positively, recording personal bests in both the 100 metres and 200 metres freestyle.

In December, both travelled to Kaunas, Lithuania, to compete in the Baltic Cup, an important international development event. Grace recorded her highest placings to date, while Emily stepped up to U-19 level for the first time, gaining valuable experience against older athletes.

The new year began with a community focus, as the girls took part in the New Year’s Day 5km fun run supporting Keadue Community Hall. This was followed by a major test at the University of Bath, where they competed in Team GB’s second ranking event over two full days alongside past and future Olympians.

The competition reflected the evolving nature of modern pentathlon. In addition to fencing and a 200 metres swim, athletes faced an obstacle course featuring unfamiliar challenges — highlighting the lack of OCR facilities locally and nationally — before finishing with a demanding laser-run of five 600 metres laps interspersed with shooting, covering 3km in total.

Training continues at an intense pace. Grace and Emily complete four to five running sessions each week, alongside fencing, swimming and strength and conditioning — all while balancing school and college commitments. Both girls also play ladies’ football with The Saints — a St. Ronan’s/St. Michael’s amalgamation, who will step up to Junior A level following a thrilling win over Kilbride in last year’s Junior B championship final.

Living in the west adds another challenge, with long and frequent journeys required to access specialist coaching.

Alongside sport, Emily attends Drumshanbo Vocational School, while Grace studies at Leitrim College of Further Education and Training, completing an equine-focused course at Lough Gara Stables under Adrien Kneale. Grace will continue this pathway when she begins a degree in Equine Science at the University of Limerick in September 2026.

March will see Grace travel to Budapest for her first senior international competition, while both girls will attend triathlon trials in the hope of securing selection for the Irish Pony Club International Tour to Australia.

They are members of the Leitrim Branch of the Irish Pony Club, which was recently shortlisted for a Leitrim Sports Stars Award following its musical ride performance at the 2025 Dublin Horse Show at the RDS.

Later in 2026, both athletes are targeting U-19 European and World Championships, with Grace aiming to progress to Junior European level as part of a planned pathway towards Olympic qualification in 2028.

To support their journey, the family has relaunched a sponsorship initiative for the 2026 season. A €50 raffle offers businesses the chance to display their logo on the girls’ competition kit for 12 months, with additional equipment sponsorship options available from €100 upwards.

Full details are available via support@quinnpentathlon.eu.