Director of Athletic Performance appointment with Ireland's first Professional Continental cycling team for SETU assistant lecturer Stephen Barrett
Aqua Blue Sport – Ireland's first Professional Continental cycling team established by Irish businessman Rick Delaney – has appointed sports scientist Stephen Barrett, a graduate of and now Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science as its Director of Athletic Performance.
The ultimate goal for Aqua Blue Sport is to participate at a World Tour level by year four and compete in the Tour de France, but for now sights are firmly set on the 2017 Professional Continental season which hopefully will include races such as Milan-San Remo, Amstel Gold and the Tour of Britain. Aqua Blue Sport have also been invited to attend the launch of the 2017 Tour de France by event organisers ASO.
The Team Aqua Blue Sport riders will be supported by a top tier backroom team composed of team Director of Performance Operations, Leigh Bryan, Dr. Alan Farrell as Team Doctor, former Irish international cyclist Stephen Barrett as Director of Athletic Performance and Nicki Sørensen, formerly of Team Tinkoff-Saxo and Tim Barry as Sporting Directors. Stephen Moore will serve as General Manager.
Earlier this year Barrett was selected for a new High Performance Sub-Committee at Cycling Ireland. for his expertise as a Sports Scientist.
The High Performance Sub-Committee will act in an advisory capacity to the Cycling Ireland High Performance Programme, ensuring that it remains aligned to the Cycling Ireland Strategy which was launched at the end of 2014.
Barrett is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science in SETU. He also works as an Exercise Physiologist with the Irish Institute of Sport (IIS) specialising in Exercise Immunology working mainly with boxers and distance runners in the lead up to Rio 2016.
He obtained a BA (Hons) Exercise and Health Studies from SETU in 2007 and MSc Exercise Physiology from Loughborough University in the UK in 2009.
He is a former elite track cyclist having won three national titles and also competed at European and World Championship level for Ireland in both Cycling and Triathlon. He has worked as a coach and sport scientist with amateur and professional athletes from a range of sports, including English Premier League Football, Rugby, Boxing, Rowing, Formula 1, Athletics, Basketball, Triathlon and Cycling. He is currently Performance Nutritionist and Rehabilitation Coach with the Waterford Senior Hurling Team.