European Championships gold-winner Rhys McClenaghan believes learning the core skills of gymnastics would benefit every every sports-mad child in Ireland.
The 19-year-old Newtonards man made history in Glasgow earlier this month when he became the first Irish gymnast to win a European medal, finishing clear of the eight-man field in the pommel horse.
Speaking to RTÉ 2fm's Game On, he lifted the lid on the enormous dedication he's given to the sport from an early age while extolling the virtues of his chosen discipline.
"I was always a very active kid when I was younger, always climbing up trees, finding anything to be active outside the house," he said.
"When my mum and dad introduced me to gymnastics it was the perfect environment for myself. There were so many different disciplines and apparatus I could play on. That play developed into wanting to get bigger skills and wanting to make my routine really good for competitions.
"Gymnastics is so great for every sport. I would recommend every kid goes to gymnastics, learns the basic skills like flexibility, strength, balance. It will help them so much for the likes of Gaelic games.
"I'm doing over 30 hours per week in the gym. It's a like a full-time job essentially. I found there were more sacrifices as a child if I'm honest.
"I was doing four-hour sessions every evening from about nine or ten years old onwards. I was finishing school, going straight to the gym, doing my homework and eating food in the car.
"That was tough because I had that full-on schedule but looking back I wouldn't have had it any other way."
McClenaghan will travel to the Tokyo Games in two years' time as one of Ireland's great medal hopes.
Having also claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games, his progress has been swift and dramatic. With greater expectation on his shoulders, there will be extra pressure, but McClenaghan harnesses the attention to squeeze the very bets out of himself.
"The European Championship is a much higher standard than the Commonwealth but I feel like the Commonwealth was a good stepping stone," he said.
"There was a little bit more pressure on me going into the Europeans. I kind of liked that. That added pressure gets me ready for even bigger competitions like the Worlds and the Olympic Games.
"I like to use the fear to make my routine even more perfect. If I can use fear to make it push you form behind and get you better then I'm going to use it.
"You can't get overwhelmed by adrenaline rush and energy. You need to stay focused and keep replicating your training as much as possible."
Talented, ambitious and fearless - it's a potent cocktail. But McClenaghan is taking it all in his stride and refusing to shy away from the spotlight: "Right now, I can promise there's more to come, for sure."
