Catherina McKiernan

Name:Catherina McKiernan

Schools:Coronea National School and Loreto College, Cavan.

School sports:Camogie would have been my main sport starting out, the athletics club wasn't formed until my last year in secondary school. There weren't enough of us for a team so the boys played camogie too. In the summer evenings we'd spend two or three hours training on the football pitch, I loved it. We played basketball too, but spent most of our time just running and chasing each other – I could never be caught!

The best of days:The day I won the All-Ireland schools cross-country title in Dungarvan, in my last year in school. It was a major breakthrough.

The worst of days:It's a long story, it was even in the national papers at the time. The Ulster schools cross-country championships clashed with my camogie team's match, so I had to choose – I went for the running.

The camogie team lost and they put the blame on me. When I went in to school on the Monday I was kind of ignored, I suffered for it. But I went on to win the All-Ireland title so maybe it was the right decision.

If I could turn back time:I wish I had been more my own boss. I didn't really have a say in my career, I was told what races to run and I didn't have much input to my training. It was done in the best of faith, but I just wish I'd made more of my own decisions. The other regret is that I never really savoured the good moments, as my father always advised me to do. I was so driven if I won a big race I would immediately start thinking about the next one.

The value of school sport to you:It kept us solid. I think back to those lunch-times when some of us would be off running and playing, it refreshed us. When we got back the ones who had stayed in for their lunch would be fighting and bitching! I wore my shorts and t-shirt under my school uniform so once the bell rang for lunch I'd be undressing as I ran down the corridor, heading for the door.

The teachers would let me eat my lunch back in class (my mother’s famous brown bread) because they knew I wouldn’t stop running long enough to eat it during the break. Great memories. And all my greatest friends were made through sport.

Most admired:Knowing what hard work, dedication and commitment is required to succeed, having had to deal with all that media pressure and high expectations, and having experienced so many ups and downs myself, I just couldn't pick out one person – there are so many I admire.

Not too keen:I have to say professional soccer players drive me nuts, I have no time for them. They are paid way too much for what they do, no one is worth that kind of money.

One sporting wish:It's a personal one . . . I was lucky enough to grow up on a farm so I had space to run, and later I was allowed train on the golf course at the Slieve Russell Hotel. But when I think of the kids now at the Annalee Athletic Club in Cavan they have nothing but a mucky football pitch to train on. We're not looking for a track, just a few acres of land and green space for these kids. There are just no facilities. Many of them want to follow me, but they're not getting the chance.

• Catherina McKiernan was one of the world's leading cross-country and marathon runners, twice representing Ireland at the Olympics, winning the European cross country title in 1994, four World silver medals and three major city marathons (Berlin, London and Amsterdam). She retired from competitive athletics in 2004.