Fiona Cooke

Fiona is without doubt MCC’s most successful cyclist for 2011.  After taking up the sport through the Club’s Monday night spins in 2010, her commitment and determination to keep up the cycling up through a terrible winter last year definitely paid off for 2011.  Not being satisfied with completing 100 mile sportives, as if they were run of the mill spins, she then started to get curious about the races...

In her first competitive outing, she missed out on the top place in the Tramore Hill TT by a single second; her appetite for competitions grew and she applied for a league race licence.  She then proceeded to top the Wicklow League, got even more curious and applied for a full open racing licence!!  Thereafter Fiona included her participation in cycling events to open races, including her cycling highlight of her year, the very demanding Ras na MBán.

Fiona is 21½ years old (we thought she was younger!), from Harold’s Cross in South Dublin (hence her post south Dublin accent), a Radiographer (NOT A NURSE - not that there's anything wrong with being a nurse) in St Lukes and lived in Kilkenny for 5 years.  Despite enjoying life in Kilkenny, she says she is much comforted by the close proximity (thank you M9) of Dublin, especially on weekends when all that GAA stuff is going on.  Fiona's alter-ego Sr. Assumpta, can also sometimes be spotted around town on her bike.....

1. 2011 was your first full year in the Club. How did you find it?

How did I find The Club??? Uh, I followed Eoin one day.... blame him.

2. You were successful in many of the events you took part in this year. What was your sweetest achievement / victory?

Success?? Victory???? Well, I was pretty chuffed to survive 'Ras na mBan'. I was lucky enough to be invited to team-up with the lovely ladies of Orwell Wheelers for this 5-day, 6-stage race around Kerry. Taking into account the mountains, the weather, & how little training I'd done for it, I consider finishing it at all an achievement.

3. What was your favourite (non-MCC) event of 2011?

Kicking Australia's ass at the Rugby World Cup!!!

Oh, did you mean something I actually took part in myself???

(Low sporting point of 2011..... yes Captain Havoc, West Ham getting relegated, again).

4. What are your ambitions for 2012?

Circus tricks..... I'd like to master my track-stand, and learn to cycle with no hands on the bars. Oh, and one more stab at 'Ras na mBan', aiming to finish in the upper half of the GC this time. Then 'Race Around Ireland' in 2013, and 'Paris-Brest-Paris' in 2015! Small time stuff.

5. What advice would you have for other ladies thinking of taking up cycling?

Me: "Lady, do you have any qualms about spending €2k on an 'it' bag????? Or a month's salary on a pair of Laboutin heels??"

Lady: "No."

Me: "Super! Cycling was invented with you in mind, just replace 'it-bag' with 'race-wheels', & think 'Sidi' instead of 'Laboutins'. Oh, and say goodbye to your manicure".

6. Who has impressed you most in the Club and why?

Since that very first Monday evening Beginner's Spin in May last year, everyone I have met from MCC has impressed me with their humour and their helpfulness. Those who have made me stronger know who they are.

7. Who's the best looking bloke in the Club? I have spent more hours cycling behind Eoin than all the rest of you added together, and I can confidently say he has the best lycra-clad ass ever!

8. What sporting occasion would you like to attend? Eva Green (Casino Royale) mud-wrestling Christina Hendricks (Mad Men). Floodlit.

9. Word on the street is that you are organising the MCC training day for 2012 – can you give us any detail on it?

The clue is in the title....... It will be during the day, there will be training.

10. You bought a fancy carbon Canyon during the year - have you retired your old bike then?

Actually my Canyon (Ultimate AL 9.0; again, clue is in the name) is aluminium (carbon fork), and I LOVE it. My Specialized bike, though only 18mths old, is now my *cough* Winter training bike *cough*; Yes, I feel like a complete twat writing that, but I know it's what you're looking for.

11. Do you prefer Campag or Shimano?

It would be hilarious to the point of ridicule, for someone who still doesn't fully understand what all the gears are for ("Spin Fiona, Spin, SPIIIINNNN!!!"), to express a preference.

12. Who do you admire most outside cycling?

Admire as in 'shaggability'? Alan Quinlan.....

Or as in 'All Round Good'? Focus Ireland, The Simon Community, and Jane&Brendan McKenna (founders of The LauraLynn Children's Hospice).

13. What non-sporting occasion would you like to attend? Please see 8. above.

14. Last book: Tricky one. I generally have a few on the go at any one time, mostly because I hate getting to the end, and also because I like to have a fiction & a non-fiction option. So I'm going to say instead that the book I most enjoyed reading this year was "Skippy Dies" by Paul Murray. I have had the pleasure of meeting Paul, and not only is he very sweet (and an amazing dancer!), he is also....... A Cyclist!!!!! Yes, one of us, and he wrote a book (or two), and it was good, and someone published it!!!!!

15. Favourite movie:

For most people this would be a relatively straightforward question. I don't get a whole lot of pleasure out of the whole film/movie experience. This is mostly because I tend to embrace the whole suspend-your-disbelief thing, and have a rather (over-)emotional reaction to most films. I have left the cinema in tears after everything from 'The Incredibles' to 'March of the Penguins'. It's awful, people look away in shame as mascara rolls down my cheeks during everything from the battle scenes in 'Gladiator', to the bit where man & boy are reunited in 'Ice Age'. So, anyhow, the most recent tear-jerker I exposed myself to was 'Senna'. I wouldn't mind, but I even knew exactly how it would end (yeah, he dies. Again).

16. Favourite music: Right now, 'The National', or 'Spokes', I can't get enough of either of them. I am a music junkie though, I've been through everything from 'Morrissey' to 'Vampire Weekend'. My all time favourite live-music moment was being one of a handful of people sitting on the grass one afternoon in the RDS while Bruce Springsteen rehearsed his whole set in front of us, before performing there that night (him, not me). I also have fond memories of George Michael, outdoors at the RDS, on the most glorious June evening in 2007, awesome.

17. Favourite place/holiday:

Place: Top of Lough Bray*, looking out over the lake, on a sunny day (but with enough of a breeze to keep the midges away), slugging Prosecco from the bottle ......

Holiday: Switzerland, Summer or Winter, love it, would happily live there.

18. Favourite drink: Prosecco, in the garden , on a sunny Summer evening.

19. Favourite restaurant in Kilkenny: 'Zuni' has never disappointed me.

20. Ideal celebrity date:

If someone could take him aside and show him how to use a knife & fork, then Alan Quinlan.

[it's ok Alan, we can go to some nice seafood place, and you can order chowder, that way you'll only have to master 'the spoon' ;-) ]

21. What would you do if you won the lotto?

Well, feck all, obviously.

22. What can you not live without? Segafredo coffee. Sadly I frequently do. Anyone going to Italy soon????

23. What do you do for relaxation? I ride my bike.

24. If you could turn time back? I wish I had seen Amy Winehouse perform at 'Other Voices' in Dingle, December 2006.

*scatter my ashes from here, thanks.