Name: Sarah Helly
Age: 25
Sport: Golf
Position: Assistant Golf Professional
Career Length: 2 years
What made you choose golf? Did you start with something else?
- My father was a keen golfer and taught me the game.
What is your greatest sporting achievement?
- Winning the Irish Amateur Women’s Championship in 2015 and representing Ireland on the Women’s national team.
What is your current sporting goal and how do you plan to go about getting it?
- To become a class A LPGA professional and work in the arena of golf and study the LPGA course.
Aside from your sporting achievements and athletic ability, do you think there are any attributes you have acquired over the years from sport, that benefit you in your life outside of sport?
- Yes. Golf has opened many doors for me through meeting people and work. I have also got to travel a lot and visited many countries.
What was your lowest point in sport and how did you stay positive so that you continued to grow?
- 2013 was the year I struggled the most. I lost my game completely and was thinking of quitting altogether. However, I stuck with it, practiced a lot and became more patient.
What is the greatest opportunity that sport has given you?
- I got to represent my country and received a scholarship to America so I could complete my studies there.
Golf can be as much an individual challenge as it is a team effort. What was your preference and why?
- I prefer individual competition. As when you perform poorly, it is only yourself to blame. In a team, you can perform very well but do not succeed because of the performance of others.
What’s your advice to the younger you?
- Don’t give it up if it makes you happy the majority of the time. There will always be low points but the highs you get from doing well outweigh the lows.
What’s your advice to someone who has never played a sport before and is considering, picking one up?
- Be patient. Practice. It won’t come overnight but most importantly, have fun!
What do you like most about coaching?
- Trying to help someone get better and seeing the results that come along with it. That is extremely satisfying.
Who is your inspiration?
- In sport, my dad. He is the reason I am the player I am today. He gave me so many opportunities.