Countdown to Tokyo: Woolley pays tribute to local support he has received on Olympic journey

By Stephen Leonard

JACK WOOLLEY has paid tribute to his coach, club and family in helping him fulfil his goal of reaching the Olympic stage.

The Tallaght man is poised to become Ireland’s first ever Taekwondo athlete in the Summer Games when he lines out on the mat in Tokyo on July 24 and he was quick to acknowledge the huge local support he has received over a long journey that included the heartbreak of just missing out on qualification for Rio in 2016.

But the pride of South Dublin Taekwondo and the Irish Taekwondo Union, who had only stepped up to the senior ranks the year before in 2015, has really come of age over the past five years and finally secured Olympic qualification following a tremendous year in 2019.

Indeed he made the podium at five major international competitions that year, which included gold in the Australian Open and silver in the US equivalent.

Now looking ahead to the greatest challenge of his career, Woolley who flew out from Ireland last week with his coach Robert Taaffe and team manager Niamh Buffini, saluted the efforts of those closest to him in helping propel him to this point.

Jack Woolley with his parents Annette and Harry ahead of his departure to Japan last week

“The club [South Dublin Taekwondo] has been a massive support for me” stressed Woolley.

“Every competition I go to, all the kids are always wishing me the best of luck and when I come home with a medal, they’re always eager to ask me questions and see the medals.

“It’s a nice really tight-knit family down there. There’s not too many of us, but it’s a big enough club.

“My coach Rob [Taaffe] has really put in the work over the years. We’re a team. The two of us are like a duo. We travel the world together.

“My qualification journey wasn’t just me. I feel that without Rob it probably wouldn’t have happened. I did have to put the work in on the mat, so it’s a nice balance we have.

“We don’t always see eye to eye, but we’re mature enough at this stage that we know each other so well. He knows what I’m going to say before I even say it, so he’ll take that into account.

“I’m extremely grateful to him. I see him six days, sometimes seven days a week. At this stage he’s like a dad to me and I’m so grateful to him for what he’s had to put up with.

“How these people put up with me making weight, I haven’t a clue. I’m an absolute nightmare” he laughed.

“My family have been very important in all this” he continued.

“They allowed my training partner to move in over Covid. During the first lockdown the spare room was taken up by my best friend, David Phelan.

“From a young age they’ve always pushed me to do my best.

“They’d be driving me around, they’d help me with my weight cuts and they’d always be there supporting me and they’d always be there watching me online” he said.

Woolley has been pleased with his preparation in the lead-up to Tokyo and confidence is high after recently landing gold in the Mexico Open.

“Preparation has been going really good and I’m feeling very positive.

“We upped the amount of hours I had been doing just to ensure that we don’t leave any stone unturned. My weight is pretty good. It’s not too high.

“But I don’t want to think about the Games too much because I don’t want to burn out. I know the way I am as a person.

“If I overthink the Olympics, I’m going to start shutting down and by the time I get there, I will have built it up so much in my head, I don’t want it becoming an underwhelming experience, because I know, with Covid, things are going to be different.

“To me it’s another competition which, if I win, will improve my life so much, there will be just so many positives. I’m just going to stay relaxed and focused” he said.