Go Eddie; Motivation for us all.

By ALICE O’BRIEN, Alice O’Brien Counselling, Newmarket

Duhallow man, or more specifically, Banteer man, Eddie Dunbar has crossed many a finish line in his cycling career. For years he has started races and tours, turning pedal after pedal since beginning his cycling career with the infamous Danny. But this September he crossed two finish lines in first place when he won two stages in the Vuelta, one of the most gruelling three week races in the world across Spain’s mountain terrain. He crossed the line both times to cheers, to waiting glory, to media channels who wanted to interview him, to team-mates who wanted to pat his back and to a storm of excitement. And well deserved it all was. He stood on the podium with modest pride in typical Eddie fashion.

But, for all that glory Eddie has worked long and hard. Cycling out of Banteer many a cold wet morning, head down to shelter from the wind as he started on a long lonely spin. Did Eddie know on those cold wet mornings, as a young boy that all his efforts would yield such a reward? The answer is no. So, why did he keep going? What motivates people to keep going? To keep the motivation alive time after time?.

There are two types of motivation. intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from within, extrinsic motivation comes from an external factor. We need both types to drive our actions. To be intrinsically motivated means that you carry out an action because you have a passion, you find it rewarding. Extrinsically motivated action is carried out with a reward in mind, a prize or even a pay-off, you carry out the action not because you love it, but because you expect to get something.

For most of us, intrinsic motivation is what gets us started, it is what helps us to identify our passions and pursue them. Extrinsic motivation is what keeps us going, the reward or the idea of the reward makes it easier to continue.

I don’t know what motivated Eddie- we will have to ask him. But I can guess that he is glad he kept going. I do know this though- no matter how successful he becomes, he will be the same modest, friendly man he has always been and Duhallow- especially Banteer are very proud.