Claire Molloy is a former Irish rugby captain, having been capped 69 times for her country. By many experts, she is regarded as one of the finest flankers in the world.
Molloy helped the Girls in Green to Grand Slam success in 2013, before adding another Six Nations medal to her collection in 2015. Back in 2005, at the age of 16, Molloy lined out for Galway in the Ladies National Football League final.
Her achievements speak for themselves and for the everyday person, this would be enough to rest on. But Molloy is even more than all this, not only is she an elite rugby player, she is an Accident and Emergency doctor.
At Cardiff University she began studying to become a doctor and has since then fully qualified. In August of last year, the Galway native announced that she would be is taking a "sabbatical from my beloved green jersey" in order to focus on her career in medicine.
Now, Dr. Molloy is working on the very front-line of the NHS, where the fight against Coronavirus is a clear, present and unimaginable danger.
Sky Sports’ Rupert Cox caught up with the Wasps flanker to get an insight into her life at the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff.
"We changed to a 'corona rota' on the 1st April,” Molloy told Sky Sports.
“Two days on, two days off…we're facing the unknown - gearing up to prepare for a surge in cases. But there's also a need to keep the non-corona population protected - maintain a clean pathway for them to come to us - heart attacks don't take a break because of a pandemic!
"In a way we're privileged…I get to see people at work when most people aren't able to do that at all…there's a huge degree of normality for us."
Having taken a step-back from international rugby to focus on her emergency medical training, Molloy plans to dive straight back into things later this year. She could yet play in her fourth World Cup.
"I've chosen my [medical] career first this year. It was a calculated risk to not be playing for Ireland, but from August onwards - rugby is my absolute focus."
Despite having to work crazy hours, Molloy is still finding ways to keep a balanced life.
"I need to get outside and chuck a ball about and get moving before I miss out on the opportunity - do my shift - then back for sleep".
You can check out the full article from Sky Sports here.
