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20 QUESTIONS WITH.... SARAH ROWE PEIL Winter | Issue No 4 | Volume 14 40 // Ladies Gaelic Football Association 9. WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU HAVE FACED TO DATE AS A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE? Loading training wise. They monitor you and if you are pushing yourself to a limit where you are more vulnerable to be injured, they will pull you from training. I will train through anything, I brush niggles under the carpet but no, not in this environment. Also, I've had to take lots of notes in meetings and go home and study them. 10. HAS HOMESICKNESS BEEN A FACTOR FOR YOU SO FAR? No, but that is purely down to my mindset. I said to myself before coming that no matter what happens, if it's great or not, I will make the most of what it is. But I can't wait to see my family and friends and also my team I miss them and football because AFL is great but it will never be the same as football to me. 11. HOW QUICKLY DID IT TAKE YOU TO RECOVER FROM MAYO'S CHAMPIONSHIP EXIT? Around two weeks. It was disappointing but we didn't do ourselves justice. I look forward to a fresh start, a team that is building for the future and I'm excited about it. 12. ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE MAYO'S CHANCES IN 2019? I am optimistic about everything, that's why I play. I look forward to getting stuck in again at Christmas when I'm home, looking forward to meeting all the new girls, putting the head down and working hard. 13. IF THINGS GO WELL WITH COLLINGWOOD, DO YOU ENVISAGE GOING BACK FOR A SECOND SEASON? One day at a time, in case my mother's reading this! She wanted a start and end date for Australia, and 'let you be done with them!' 14. YOU'RE AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE 20X20 CAMPAIGN - WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT SO FAR? A brilliant campaign, with great people driving it. They have been so proactive so far and even me, a female athlete, has become more aware of more success at women's sport. It's so great to see and it makes me so excited for the future of female sport. 15. YOU'RE ALSO A LIDL AMBASSADOR, AND THEY ARE ONE OF THE 20X20 SPONSORS. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE LIDL BACKING 20X20? Whatever Lidl say, they will do. They always follow through - that's why I know this campaign will be a success. It is very important to have them behind it because they have helped so much with Ladies Football. They started at the grassroots, have been working their way up and they know what it takes to get to the top. 16. IT WAS ALSO ANNOUNCED RECENTLY THAT OUR CHAMPIONSHIP SPONSORS TG4 HAVE COME ON BOARD AS MEDIA PARTNERS FOR 20X20. HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS? Brilliant, so now we can link it all hand in hand. We need stability in Ladies football and female sport and by linking TG4 and 20x20 together, we have so much more stability. 17. WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS FOR THE 2019 SEASON WITH COLLINGWOOD? I hope to improve individually of course , but the dream is to win a Grand Final with all the girls. 18. HOW DOES THE TRAINING DIFFER OR COMPARE TO WHAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED BACK HOME? Similar but different because you are constantly monitored. It's a credit to where Ladies Football teams are at home because the big difference here is money - facilities and trained people in any area you need. But that all goes back to money. We train nearly just as hard at home, but I end up doing about 8 hours more training a week over here. And I also don't have to travel – I live a 10-minute drive from training compared to three hours from Dublin to Mayo. So where we are at home is amazing – considering it's not professional. They're in shock over here that I train the way I do and don't get paid. I'm like 'hello, welcome to the real world!' But it makes for a good argument. I tell the girls I do it for the love of the game and I love my team, not for money. 19. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE AFL CAN LEARN FROM OUR GAME? Yes, moving into space and keeping the ball more rather than gaining territory by kicking it. 20. AND FINALLY, SARAH, HOW PLEASED WERE YOU TO SEE ANOTHER RECORD CROWD AT CROKE PARK FOR THE 2018 TG4 ALL-IRELAND FINALS? So pleased but it was hard to watch. The two best teams played in the Final and the standard was brilliant, it's improving every year. Absolute credit to the LGFA, TG4 and Lidl for all the work they have been doing to make it all happen.