A life-changing accident in 2015 left Ray Murnane in a wheelchair and ultimately onto a completely different career path.
A recent graduate with a Master of Science in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology at SETU has found his ‘dream job’ with Cycling Ireland.
Ray Murnane from Bantry in County Cork is working as Cycling Inclusion and Paracycling Officer with the organisation; a position he secured once he completed his MSc.
A life-changing accident over 10 years ago prompted Ray to become involved in the world of sport at a professional level.
Ray worked in construction for 23 years after completing his Leaving Cert, and decided to return to education at the age of 40, initially retraining in the area of counselling before obtaining a degree in Youth and Community Work at UCC. He subsequently worked with the Travelling community in West Cork, as well as in the areas of addiction and family support.
Life-changing event
Ray was involved in a serious road accident in 2015, which caused a spinal cord injury that left him in a wheelchair. This life-altering event led him to reconsider his lifestyle and ultimately his career:
“Looking for something to do, I found handcycling, and over the years was very fortunate to compete for my country and race at a pretty high level. I love being on the bike and it restored my passion for life. I got involved in managing teams and I used my training from my community work to help athletes to relax before racing. This was a role I loved to be in and I wanted to learn more,” Ray said.
This desire to further his studies prompted Ray to become a student of Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology at SETU, something he found hugely beneficial.
“The most useful learning from my studies in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology, is that all my other knowledge in the social sector, and my own lived experience, absolutely apply to this field,” he added.
It is particularly rewarding to see Ray now take the next step in his career by securing what is undoubtedly a dream role with Cycling Ireland. This is a fantastic opportunity for him to put his knowledge, skills and experience into practice within high-performance sport, while making a meaningful contribution to the development of athletes and the wider cycling community
Proudest achievement
Reflecting on his time at SETU, Ray said obtaining his Masters qualification has been his proudest achievement, and he’s hugely grateful for the support he received at the University:
“It took a lot of hard work and effort. Being in the wheelchair made it more difficult but it was a positive difficulty as opposed to a negative difficulty. When I was doing my thesis, my Tutor Dr Jean McArdle encouraged me to stop and rest every now and again. I now understand taking a break from your studies or work is really important. Jean taught me my disability comes first.”
Commenting on Ray’s achievements, Dr Ciara Losty, Lecturer in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology and Course leader for the MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology at SETU said:
“Ray epitomises what can be achieved through hard work, dedication and a passion for a chosen field. He overcame many challenges to obtain his Masters qualification and we are all extremely proud of him at SETU.
It is particularly rewarding to see Ray now take the next step in his career by securing what is undoubtedly a dream role with Cycling Ireland. This is a fantastic opportunity for him to put his knowledge, skills and experience into practice within high-performance sport, while making a meaningful contribution to the development of athletes and the wider cycling community.
I have no doubt that Ray will bring the same enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment to this role that he demonstrated throughout his studies. He will be a tremendous asset to Cycling Ireland, and we look forward to following his progress and seeing all that he goes on to achieve.”
