Despite having recently claimed a whopping 26th national title, West Waterford Athletics star Kate Veale says she is not content with her current medal haul – and believes she has so much more to give in the years ahead.
Having turned 30 last year, Kate almost has the distinction of a winning a national title for every year she’s been alive – and despite being delighted at adding to her growing haul, her desire to scale unprecedented heights remains stronger than ever before.
Reflecting on her latest 3,000m walk title at the National Senior Indoor Championships recently, Veale told WLR: “It’s always great to get another national title and to win a national championship. I love doing my nationals and they are the only times that I get to race in Ireland and not have to go abroad. There was a good field in it, and it was really competitive and nice to see. It’s not something that I ever take for granted.”
Veale is a source of inspiration for her West Waterford AC teammates – but says she is every bit as inspired in turn watching the next generation of athletes making their mark on a national stage.
“We had Lucy Holmes finishing second in the middle-distance, and the middle distance events are so competitive! What she’s doing is just fantastic and there’s so much more in her as well. It’s very exciting for Lucy – and we had Micheal Power who did brilliant too. For me, seeing them is inspiring and motivating and brings a real community spirit. The club is brilliant, it’s like a family and we’re after becoming one of the biggest in the country.”
Despite her wealth of domestic success, Kate Veale believes there are still points to prove on an international stage in the months ahead.
“It’s lovely winning national titles but for me – I feel on an international perspective that I haven’t competed as well as I would’ve liked to have. I haven’t got that success – being to an Olympics is an obvious one. I think “I know I’ve done this – but I haven’t done this”, there are times that you doubt your abilities and stuff but I do feel that I have more to give. I know that I’m better, I feel that I haven’t shown it and I think that’s kind of exciting too – it always is to have that 1% of hope and to be able to say at the end that I gave it my best shot.”
Veale has the qualifying time for the European Cup of Race Walking in May secured, and hopes to then go on to the World Championships in Tokyo in September.
Whatever corner of the world her talents take her to, there’s no doubt a huge Waterford contingent will follow – as despite what’s been and gone, the best of Kate Veale could well be ahead of us.
