Alexandre Beretta- O’Reilly. Why this sports star needs the backing of Ireland.

Alexandre Beretta- O’Reilly. Why this sports star needs the backing of Ireland.

By Steven Kelly 10/01/2022.

In Ireland, we are very quick to get behind the sportsmen and women of this country. Whether it is players involved in GAA, Soccer, Boxing or Rugby, the support we give our athletes is notoriously recognised globally. Alexandre Beretta- O’Reilly is an extreme Roller-blader and Ice-skater, in fact, our sole representative in the sports. He is of French origin, with both his parents being from France. His grandmother hails from Bally-James-Duff in county Cavan. Alex decided to take it upon himself to register as a Rollerblader and Iceskater with Ireland. Why did he make this decision?

“Well, a lot of my cousins and aunties still live in Cavan. My grandmother was from there. I grew up in Paris and now I live in Lyon. I felt that it was right to represent Ireland, as I spent many years over there and also the sports are full of French representation. I like discovering new things and although I don’t receive any sponsorship and am self-funded, I am proud to represent my nation.” Alex loved all sports and played many during his teenage years. “I played Tennis, Table-Tennis and tried Athletics. When I was in school I loved Biology and Art. I went to Art school to try to be an artist. In 2017 I received a mural painting degree. It allowed me to travel far and wide.”

The 27-year-old is one of three kids. “I have a brother who is 24 and a little sister who is 14. My parents are proud of me too which is great.” Alex got into the extreme sport of Roller-blading by sheer luck. “One day I was passing by a competition in Lyon. Fireworks went off in my head. I decided I would register online. I had no training or experience at all. I have improved a lot since 2015. It was a similar story with Ice-skating. I met 2 girls and they told me that there were no Irish representatives on the world tour. So like Roller-blading, I decided to register for competition with no experience or training. Needless to say, the first race in Austria wasn’t the best. I am improving a lot.”

Alex has received no funding or support from any governing bodies in Ireland and this is something he hopes will start to change. “All my spare money is put into travelling to competitions. I receive no funding at all. I don’t make any money at the moment from being a competitor. My main source of income is from my artwork. Most of my training is done in ice-rinks and skateparks. I would spend one hour on the ice. My other training would be in the gym/fitness centre, where I would work on my physical and mental preparation. I also train in the voluntary army in France.” See more about Alex below.

https://fb.watch/ap3sZ0qtLZ/

Alex has worked hard over the last 5/6 years. He is hoping more media outlets can get involved with sharing his story. It is wrong that an athlete who was ranked 9th in the world in Roller-blading in 2018, has no backing by the sports council in Ireland. “I would love for people to become aware of my sports in Ireland, with possibly an NGB giving help with expenses. I chose Ireland over France because being an athlete in France, you would need a license and doctors note. It comes with its ups and downs. The more competitions you compete in the higher your points, which leads to a higher ranking. I haven’t been able to go to all the competitions because of funds. The likes of the Canadians, French and Russians would be ranked the highest in both Roller-blading and Ice-skating.”

Alex has huge plans for the year ahead, with competitions beginning in mid - January. “I am planning on travelling to Austria to compete in January, followed by competitions in Finland and Russia. The world championships take place in Moscow and provided I have money, I am hoping to be there. My biggest aspiration would be to have Ice-skating in the 2026 winter Olympics. I am really proud of where I am, but I know that there is a long way to go.”

As much as Alexandre Beretta- O’Reilly slides around on Ice and on his blades, here is hoping the sports council and minister of sport Brendan Griffin can get their skates on.