Thomas Maloney Westgård: "Everyone should get their shot"
Cross-country skier Thomas Maloney Westgård competed at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022, where he represented Ireland. His 14th-placed finish in the 15km event at Beijing 2022 was the highest-ever for an Irish cross-country skier.
Sport is everything to me. I couldn’t live without it – it’s given me so much. It’s not always about the results, but the journey and the values it brings to my life.
Sport allows me to meet new people, to train in amazing venues and to travel the world. And the commitment I’ve needed to keep going has helped me evolve as a person.
But the reality is that without the Olympic Solidarity programme, it would be hard for me to continue skiing. This support has really had an impact on the sports system in Ireland. Small nations like Ireland should be get able to get there, because the Olympic Games are about every nation across the whole world.
Everyone should get their shot on the biggest stage – that’s what competing is all about. I remember seeing the Olympic rings when I was a little child, and that’s the moment my dream started.
When I see those rings today, I still dream about competing, about performing to the very best of my ability, about crossing the fi nish line. It’s a really, really special feeling. It’s a dream we should all be able to follow, no matter where we come from.