Paris-bound Josephine Healion aiming to absorb it all on her learning curve

It was during her college days that Josephine Healion, along with her sister, joined their local club, Tullamore Cycling and Touring Club.

As a vision-impaired cyclist, she immediately found the environment a welcoming and encouraging one, but in truth it was more of a summer hobby.

As a full-time college student, she thought little more of it until Covid seemed to stop everything in its tracks.

She was back home – working as a learning and development support specialist at a cyber security company – and had more free time than ever.

When Fran Meehan from the Tullamore Cycling Club reached out and suggested a targeted plan, it was the encouragement she needed to rekindle her passion for the sport and move it up a level.

"Fran said I could definitely take this to the next level if I wanted to," she tells RTÉ Sport.

"At the time, my life was in the right place. It was the right time for me. I was encouraged by all of the things that she said, nothing that she said deterred me from it. I really applied myself at the time and wanted to take it to this level."

With Katie-George Dunlevy and pilot Eve McCrystal blazing a trail for Para cycling, Healion and pilot Linda Kelly have added to the strength of the squad.

Injuries and form have seen the pairings mixed up, but positive results have followed consistently.

Since 2023, Healion has combined with pilots Eve McCrystal in international road competitions and Linda Kelly in international track competitions.

Healion and Kelly won a bronze medal in the women's tandem road race at the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, while she has combined with McCrystal at international road competitions.