IRELAND AS A country has been seriously impacted by the coronavirus crisis and in many instances, footballers are no exception to these problems.<\/p>\n
Before the pandemic,\u00a0\u00c1ine O\u2019Gorman was coming off the back of a good few weeks.<\/p>\n
She had come out of international retirement, after an absence of over a year. She helped Ireland secure important wins over Greece and Montenegro, boosting their chances of qualifying for the Euros in the process, as they now sit top of Group I, one point above second-place Germany, who have a game in hand.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Gorman\u2019s Peamount side were also due to start the Women\u2019s National League season on the weekend beginning 14 March, but all plans have recently been put on hold because of Covid-19.<\/p>\n
Yet a lack of football is not the only major change for O\u2019Gorman. She also works as a personal trainer, and like many people, has seen her business effected in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the gyms closed last week, which is understandable,\u201d she tells The42<\/em>. \u201cObviously a lot of clients are on hold, but it is what it is. A lot of businesses throughout the country and throughout the world have been massively impacted. I think we\u2019re all in this together and it\u2019s obviously for the best in terms of the health and well-being of everyone.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cI sent my PT clients some home workouts they can do and I\u2019m doing a little bit of work with the Dublin City Sport and Well-Being Partnership, online stuff that will be rolled out over the coming while, so that\u2019s kept me a bit busy too.\u201d<\/p>\n And does the 30-year-old Wicklow native have any advice for those looking to maintain good fitness levels in these unusual times?<\/p>\n \u201cAs long as you\u2019re well, it\u2019s important to keep a little bit of routine and get the whole family involved if you\u2019re at home and get a bit of exercise done. Obviously it\u2019s hard with people working from home, kids being at home as well. I\u2019m a better person after I\u2019ve exercised, so I think it\u2019s really important for your physical and mental health to stay active.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything is quite individual at the moment. But everyone is in the same boat and you just have to get on with it. I still managed to get out to Enniskerry this morning. There was no one out there at nine o\u2019clock going onto the pitch and I could do some runs and ball work and stuff like that. That\u2019s where I\u2019m at at the moment. And then just doing some strength and conditioning at home.<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t really been that bored yet. I\u2019ve been keeping myself busy and always have something to do every day. I\u2019ve been doing a bit of work out in the garden \u2014 it\u2019s great having the nice weather.\u201d<\/p>\n In terms of football, it\u2019s been similarly frustrating. Having undergone part of pre-season and nearly been set to kick off the campaign, she has suddenly been forced to stop again.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the Irish team too, there is no chance to build on the momentum created by the victories earlier this month.<\/p>\n An upcoming match with group rivals Germany has been postponed, while a game away to Ukraine, due to take place on 5 June, is far from certain to go ahead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n Though it has yet to be officially confirmed, there is strong speculation that the Women\u2019s Euros, scheduled to take place in the summer of 2021 in England, will be moved to avoid clashing with the men\u2019s Euros. A report in the Telegraph yesterday suggested it would be pushed back to 2022.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe men\u2019s Euros moving to 2021 is a good decision to make, especially when it\u2019s spread across the 12 cities. It\u2019ll be a really good boost when it does come around for the Irish public, hopefully the lads can qualify as well.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if [the women’s event will] get moved back a year. It might have to, to get all the qualifying games out of the way and proper preparation done. But once we\u2019re in the Euros, I don\u2019t care when it is.\u201d<\/p>\n The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us! <\/p>\n