Women in Sport Week Spotlight - Lara Gillespie
Lara Gillespie is quickly becoming a household name. A World Champion, a European Champion, an Olympian and professional road rider at World Tour level. Lara is not only an exceptional cyclist but an exceptional advocate for girls getting involved in sport.
Concluding Women in Sport Week 2026 and to celebrate International Women’s Day, we caught up with Lara to get her perspective and experience as a female athlete, finding out what makes her tick and how she fell in love with sport and more specifically cycling.
The Early Days
Sport has always played an important role for Lara, both competitively and for fun. She candidly discussed how sport shaped her childhood and into her teenage years,
“I always loved sport growing up. It was kind of just my happy place. I really didn't mind competing against the boys. I kind of loved the competitive nature and I was lucky to grow up around some also very sporty girls. And that's just where I developed a lot of my close friendships as a child as well.
“And it was just something that really built my self-confidence on as well, just having that, having something that was just fun. And I was always looking forward to something. I remember I woke up every morning at like 6.30 or 6.45, like just excited about the day because I would think about what sport I'm doing.
“I remember like jumping out of bed and being like, oh, it's Monday, I have swimming. Tuesday, I have Community Games. Wednesday, I have ballet. I even remember the schedule now. That's how embedded in my brain it was. And that's what it was. It was every day a different thing. And I think that was so healthy growing up to be learning different skills and also meeting different people."
Cycling played a very practical role for Lara to start with as she cycled to primary school. “I always loved cycling. I cycled to school. Luckily, I lived in a very safe place where you could cycle. It was also like a challenge that you started your day with a little challenge, whether it was snowing, raining, or whatever.
“I always felt quite comfortable on the bike. And then when I was in Transition Year, I got a lot more into mountain biking.”
From here Lara was guided by those in the industry, pointing her in the direction of clubs and making sure she got set up with the right bikes and equipment. Reflecting on her introduction to the sport, Lara reckons not having any expectations when she began cycling was an advantage.
“I think that kind of played to an advantage because I just was there because I love the sport. And I think I've kept that as I've gone through the sport. And because of all my training from other sports, I kind of went into cycling quite already physically strong, so I was kind of just learning the tactics and I'm still learning the tactics and the race craft, which has just made it a nice level of challenge as I have grown through the sport.”
Keeping Girls Involved in Sport
It is estimated that 1 in 5 girls drop out of sport between primary and post-primary school.* How to reduce this statistic has always been the question.
Lara has a very simple philosophy – it has to be fun! She grew up where sport was a part of life, it was their fun, what they did in their free time. She credits her mum for her love of sport, she was always supported but never pushed she explained.
No-one could doubt Lara’s athleticism, especially when you hear the sports she excelled in before settling on cycling professionally. She firmly believes in the importance of not over-focusing on one sport too early and keeping the focus on having fun.
“Don't be afraid to switch and try a new sport. That's not giving up. Find the thing that you love doing, whether it's in the middle of a yellow weather warning or whether it's in the dark, like you find yourself training with a group of people and you're like, what the hell? I would never do this, but then you're thinking, but it's just fun because you're with a nice group of people and you've met that community.
“If a sport’s not fulfilling you, then it's okay to try a new sport or to take a break. I think I grew up with that feeling that it's fine to try new things or that it's fine to change. At some points I was playing hockey very competitively and running at the same time as started cycling and people were like, oh, but if you just didn't do, if you just didn't play hockey, then you could have won the Junior World Championship. And I was like, well, maybe if I didn't play hockey, I wouldn't have even got a medal.
“You know, like there's just the two sides of it that you, that you, you can take different perspectives from, and I think having not focusing too early on like one sport because you want to be the best. That's just not, that's not the mindset that I ever had. It was all about just enjoying the process and enjoying the training. And then the results were just kind of a secondary fleeting moment.”
More Than Sport
Despite her early success on the international stage cycling, Lara was very focused on getting into college which proved to be the right decision as an athlete as well.
“I was really lucky to be in the Ad Astra in UCD and I got so much education through the scholarship, like the strength and conditioning coaches, the nutritionists, even just the lectures because I studied Sport and Health science. The lecturers were so interested in the sport and then that kind of made me even more interested in it.
“And also with my peers, like with my year group, everyone was so enthusiastic. I felt really lucky to be in this situation where I could focus on my university, but I could also try to be a professional cyclist and try to go for the Olympics.”
“Going to UCD opened up so many doors for me and gave me a big focus for when I was injured or sick and when COVID was happening. And I think that made me, it made those three years so much better.”
Comparison can often be hard and for Lara the decision to go to college wasn’t without its challenges.
“Looking back on it now, I'm so grateful that all of that happened. Obviously at the time I was comparing myself to the girls my age who I was racing up against internationally and they were all getting world tour contracts. They were really earning money and that was their full time thing. I remember having that feeling of like jealousy or envy that I was like, oh, I should be there. I could be there, and I'm not. But I'm actually so glad of how it's happened.
“That's the same thing as just the perspectives, maybe that negative thing happening can turn into something a bit different. You can learn more from, you can always learn from it.
“The whole thing about being a woman also, I think, in UCD and where I went to school and within Sport Ireland, I grew up with a lot of really strong, happy, healthy girls. And I have friends and friendships from my running team, from my hockey team, and they're all still doing their sport and loving their sport and thriving."
Shining the Spotlight
‘Same Energy, Grow the Spotlight’ is the theme for Sport Ireland Women in Sport Week 2026. Lara has experienced and witnessed how the spotlight is now being shone on women’s sports.
“I think we've grown over the last like seven years. There's been a lot of attention on the girl, on like Rhasidat Adeleke, Sarah Healy, the hockey girls and I think I've only seen good things and I think that also spreads positivity and it spreads the belief that we can do big things and that we can enjoy our life but also train really hard and get the rewards of winning big things and becoming champions in our own sport.
“I would say Ireland does a really good job at appreciating our women in sport. That's how I've seen it in the media and also in day-to-day lives that people are really interested in sport and people are really supportive of it, which is really nice to see and to hear because sometimes I'm surprised. I'm like, well, it's just sport. But then when you think about it and how sport gives women and people that focus, that friendship, that drive and that strength that you can see why people are interested in and why it is beneficial.”
Lara is without a doubt a role model for the next generation, she remembers looking up to the likes of Fionnuala Britton and Katie Taylor – both fellow Wicklow women.
The barriers to sport are often discussed, especially for women. When asked about her experience and moving into the world of professional sport Lara has a very grounded perspective.
“I don't have the same perspective as other people who've been in the sport longer, because I think everyone always says that people joining now have entered at a time when it's much more equal. But I do still see a lot of inequalities.”
She has experienced people downplaying women’s sports and the achievements of female athletes, alongside a lack of understanding and knowledge. Although this can be frustrating it’s not something she lets get the better of her and overall she has had a very positive experience as a female athlete.
“I've always felt equal to the men. Like we have a perfect amount of support, we have equal support, we have equal attention and coaching facilities, and all the facilities are the same.”
Advice
Lara has always and continues to champion the next generation, when asked if she had one piece of advice, she said:
“I always think if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. So if you can think it or dream it, then you can make it possible. And there's nothing to say that it's not possible. There will be tough moments, but if you really enjoy doing something and you have a vision or you have a dream, then don't let someone stop you or don't let yourself stop you, even more importantly.
“Just keep doing what makes you happy and that doesn't have to be sport all the time. But if you know that that's what makes you feel good, then keep searching for that feeling and for other people to share that with.”
*Sport Ireland Women in Sport Policy 2023