Sarah sees her childhood dream turn into reality

Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon

How many sports fans have sat back, looking at the television, watching a presenter or a reporter in action, and thought I could do that? Or I would love to do that?

As a 13-years-old, Athenry’s Sarah Mulkerrins was one such person. At weekends, she would clamour out of bed early and head straight for the TV to tune into whatever sport that day was offering.

However, she didn’t think ‘I could do that?’ Or ‘I would love to do that’. She said ‘someday I will do that’.

Today, the 31-years-old presents her own BBC radio sports programme on a Sunday afternoon while she also sporadically does work for BBC television. Over the Summer, she filmed a number of segments for the BBC around the Women’s World Cup.

“Last year, I also interviewed Dan Carter from New Zealand and he is such a global name you have to remind yourself that you get to do this every so often and that you do get to speak to people like that,” says Mulkerrins, who is one of three daughters born to Seamus and Bernie (nee Brennan).

“You can get into a rhythm of doing a load of interviews and forgetting the stature of who you are interviewing. That is good though. Sometimes, people forget they are human at the end of the day. They are just normal.”

That said, she maintains it is often the interviews you don’t expect to get anything out of – maybe someone who is not as well known – that can inspire.

“I do a lot of women’s sports for the BBC and often times I get the most joy out of doing those because you are bringing stories through to an audience that might not know anything about it.

“They would know nothing about the amazing achievements that these people are doing. So, you have a chance to make people aware of how good these sportspeople’s talents are or the effort they are putting in or the lack of support they are getting.”

For Mulkerrins, who is based in Manchester, her journey began back home in her native town.

“I don’t know why I came across this career but I remember when I was a kid I would be asked by teachers to read things out or to read out prayers at Mass because, I suppose, I had good diction or a good voice.

“I watched an awful lot of sports when I was a kid as well, be it athletics, GAA and all of that. I was really into sport when I was younger. So, it just kind of mixed a bit and I thought this (sports presenting) was what I wanted to do. And I was just determined to do it. When I get an idea, I am a bit stubborn.”

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.