An Olympic Dream becomes Reality

We sat down with Belfast based Bosh Ambassador Jack McMillan; Irish Swimmer, and now Olympic Athlete to learn a bit more about his journey to the top of his discipline. 

Firstly, a huge congratulations on qualifying as a member of the Irish 4x200m Olympic Freestyle Relay Team! How are you feeling about heading to Tokyo this summer?

This will be my first Olympics so I am very excited and looking forward to it. It will be a privilege to represent Ireland at the games and to be able to compete against the best athletes in the world. I think it will be an unforgettable experience.

When did you start getting into swimming?

So, I started swimming when I was 4, then began competing at 8. Next, I joined Bangor Swimming Club at 11 and that has been my club ever since.

Do you have a particular role-model who has inspired you on your journey to the Olympics?

My coach is Paul Dennis and he has helped me a lot on my journey, since I was 13 years old. I always thought that making the Olympics would be amazing when I was younger, but making it a goal became realistic when around 17/18.

And finally, what competition experience do you have already and what are your hopes for the rest of your career?

I have represented Ireland at the World Championships in 2019 which gave me a good sense of racing the best swimmers in the world and competing at the highest level in swimming. There has been many ups and downs and some days when I don’t want to train. Being consistent and driven are the two keys to performing better year, after year, to help me to achieve more!

I will be continuing my journey to Paris 2024 and many other competitions until 2024 such as World and Europeans championships.

Keep an eye out on all the Bosh social media channels, where we will share more updates on how Jack gets on in Tokyo!