Victoria Catterson says it would be ‘indescribable’ to be part of history-making Irish women’s relay team in Paris

Ireland have secured a quota spot in the women’s 4x100m medley relay for the Paris Olympics courtesy of their national record-breaking performance at last year’s World Championships in Japan.

Catterson was part of that foursome, as were Danielle Hill, Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe.

It boils down to the Irish trial in Abbotstown in May for Catterson. She has to win the 100m freestyle event or post the fastest time across the heat, semi-final or final to secure her leg in the history-making relay team.

“The last time we had a women’s relay at a Games was 1972. That is not in any of our athletes’ generation, so to see that coming through is crazy,” Catterson said. “It means so much for the four of us – we’re all best mates – to come through that together and get to the highest level together, but even what it means for Swim Ireland, female swimming in Ireland, female sport.

“We don’t take that lightly. We know we’re representing a generation coming forward. We want the females and girls coming after us to think it’s the norm to have relay teams at a Games, that we can do it as a nation. That’s what we’re pushing for and striving for.”

Today's Sport News in 90 Seconds - 28th February

Irish swimming is having more than a moment. Daniel Wiffen is the new poster boy of the sport globally after adding two golds to his lengthening CV at the World Championships in Doha earlier this month, with McSharry qualifying for three finals.

Catterson was “a bit disheartened” with her performances there, which included being just 0.01s outside her Irish 200m freestyle record and missing a semi-final spot. But she says there has been a mentality makeover for Irish swimmers.

“Up to maybe six or seven years ago, it was all right to turn up and swim a heat and say, ‘I have been to the world champs’, but now the team is really striving for those records and wanting to step up again.

“We want to make semis and finals, win medals and break world records. We don’t have a huge pool of swimmers to choose from, but this group of maybe 15 swimmers is all pushing to get to those levels. That’s just crazy from what may have been the norm not so long ago.”

Catterson’s first cousin is Ulster rugby player James Hume, a former swimmer, who is “probably one of the reasons why I’m in swimming”.

After completing her accounting course in May last year, Catterson moved to Dublin from her home in east Belfast to become a full-time swimmer.

She receives “around €13,000-€14,000” funding through Sport NI and Swim Ireland/Sport Ireland and lives in a house in Abbotstown with three other swimmers. It’s all in the name of trying to make it to Paris.

“I just wanted a complete change of scenery: change of coach, change of team, just remotivate me for this next year in a professional setting,” she explained.

“It’s almost indescribable how much it would mean. The amount of work, what you’ve sacrificed and choices you’ve made for all these years. It would mean everything.”