South East Technological University (SETU) graduate and professional jump jockey Katie O’Farrell is leading groundbreaking research on the mental health, well-being, and coping strategies of jockeys in Ireland and the UK.
Yesterday (Tuesday), Ms O’Farrell graduated from SETU with a Master of Science (MSc) in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology.
The Kilkenny native recently began a fully funded MSc between SETU and The Injured Jockeys Fund, UK. This is the first collaboration between Ireland and UK regarding jockey research.
With a string of success at amateur and professional level, Katie is no stranger to the jockeying world.
Her breakthrough came with two significant wins on Willie Mullins-trained Low Sun, and she reached the pinnacle of National Hunt racing, even featuring in Jump Girls, a two-part documentary that highlights women’s critical role in horse racing.
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Katie’s career eventually came to a natural end. Faced with the prospect of transitioning out of her sport, she drew on her experience as a jockey and returned to SETU to study sport psychology at master’s level.
Looking back, Katie reflected, “During my time as a jockey, I got advice from a sport psychologist on a regular basis to help me cope better with the challenges of being a professional athlete in a high risk, low reward sport. Having experienced the impact sport psychology had on my own career, I learned to really respect and admire the profession.
“When I was faced with that crossroads of transitioning out of my sport, I thought of how I would like to be the person that my sport psychologist had been to me during that chapter of my life. I’d be lying if I said I was sure I was doing the right thing when I chose this path but, thankfully, now that I’ve gotten this far, I know that I am.”
Katie attributes her family’s support as instrumental during her studies.
“It was a difficult time for me moving away from the sport that I loved and entering back into the world of education,” she said.
“It was very challenging for me to go from a life where my body did the work, now to a life where my brain was doing the work. It took time to find my feet, but I got there, and my family provided all the support that I needed to help me during that time.”
Aside from the new friendships and connections that naturally came with returning to education, a personal highlight for Katie was overcoming her apprehension about re-entering university and taking on new challenges.
“I had a lot of people say to me during that time that they could never go back to college again,” she explained.
“Yes, it was hard, but it was worth it. The feeling of accomplishment completing this master’s has given me is something I am very proud of.”
With the support from her supervisor Dr Cíara Losty, Katie is continuing her studies at SETU through the MSc by research.
“Dr Losty has been a huge support to me throughout this whole journey,” Katie said.
“She has instilled in me a confidence in my own ability that I would not have without her. Having her guidance during my Master’s last year and coming away with a first-class honours research project, has opened my eyes to other opportunities I wouldn’t normally consider.
“While I am very green in the field of research, the project I have now untaken is in the area of my old sport, horseracing, and I thought it was a great opportunity to combine my past and my present to facilitate my future.”
Katie’s research focuses on exploring the mental health, well-being, and coping strategies of jockeys in Ireland and the UK, particularly regarding the impact of weight-making strategies.
“Horse racing’s strict weight requirements mean constant low weight demands for jockeys and their means of achieving these weights are often extreme and potentially hazardous to their health,” she added.
“It is also my intention to explore what contributes to jockeys’ positive mental health, giving us a platform from which we can build to improve the jockey’s lifestyle, and therefore their overall well-being.
“I have spent years race-riding in both Ireland and the UK, so it feels very fitting to be the lead researcher on this project.
“It is always exciting to be a part of anything that hasn’t been done before, so I feel very fortunate to be entrusted with this responsibility and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds, and what kind of difference we can make in the future.”