Find out more in this interview with Danielle Morrissey about being a WIT Sport Scholarship Athlete and member of the Kilkenny senior camogie panel
Danielle Morrissey is a second year student in Public Health & Health Promotion and is one of the driving forces behind the WIT Vikings camogie club. Danielle is a member of the Kilkenny senior camogie panel and will line out for WIT this weekend in a bid to win her first Ashbourne cup title with WIT.
WIT Arena will be the host venue for the UPMC Ashbourne Cup finals and WIT Vikings camogie club are seeking their 9th title in this prestige competition.
WIT Vikings Scholarship student
Name: Danielle Morrissey
Sport: Camogie
Club: Conahy
County: Kilkenny
Course: BSc (Hons) In Public Health and Health Promotion
Highest Achievements to date?
Getting to play in Croke Park and winning a National League title with Kilkenny
Captain of Kilkenny Minors in 2017 and winning a Leinster title
What is your favourite memory from your sporting career so far?
Winning the Junior County final with my club in 2017, because getting out of junior is very hard!
What is your personal aim this year?
To win an Ashbourne Final with WIT, Win an All-Ireland with Kilkenny, to learn and become wiser on the field
Who was your sporting idol growing up?
I have and always will looked up to Katie Taylor, she is the definition of hard work and is an animal in the ring!
How do you prepare for each match?
Every match is the same for me, I eat well and load up the day before to ensure that I’ll have enough energy to play for 60 minutes. I get my gear ready the night before so that I’m not running around getting frustrated if I can’t find a pair of matching socks! Usually the morning of a game I’d go out with my brother for a few pucks to get the eye in.
What advice would you give to players wanting to improve?
Practice makes perfect. Doing the extra wall ball sessions, runs or gym work outside of your training, will no doubt stand to you improving different aspects of your game. Don’t ever give up because hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard!!
What do you do to relax/unwind?
I’m a sucker for listening to music or podcasts on a regular basis, this just takes my mind off of everything and allows me to concentrate on myself.
How do you balance work/college/training?
This is a tricky one, I try to get organised Sunday evenings and plan for the week ahead, we get a plan for training days for the week and then I just sort my week out around that! I work one day at the weekend; this also depends on what day I train or if I have a match at the weekend. College work can suffer at times but I know when to cop on and get myself to the library!
What was the best advise you were ever given?
“Pull on everything and anything that moves, but make sure you get the ball”
Do you get nervous before big matches/competitions and if so how do you deal with it?
I would get nervous yes of course, I take nerves as a positive energy and I don’t let them affect me. It’s only natural to feel nerves on big match days but it’s how you deal with them that makes the difference. I’d be in and out of the bathroom like a yo-yo! The butterflies would disappear once I get out into the warm up. I just like having the chats with the girls going up to the game this would take my mind off of the match and help me feel relaxed.
SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
