A baby, a wedding... my hectic life in London

KATEY Byrd, from Ballinlough, has been living in London for nine years. She lives there with her husband Gavin and their new baby, Reggie.

How did you end up in London?

I had been living in Dublin, and hoping to move to somewhere more exotic (or anywhere warm really), but London seemed like the best fit for both mine and Gavin’s careers and it wasn’t too far from home.

What is life like there?

We love our life in south-west London. We live in Surbiton, a commuter town that places us a 16 minute train journey from central London and a 20-minute car journey from the Surrey Hills.

I never wanted to live in central London, it is far too busy for me, so where we are is perfect.

We lived in a two-bedroom flat for the best part of six years, and finally decided to buy in 2021.

What has been the biggest challenge?

Looking back, I’d probably say the first 6-9 months of our new life in London was the biggest challenge. I didn’t realise it at the time but I terribly missed my life in Dublin and my family and friends in Cork.

Gavin had a lot of school friends and old rugby pals living in London so he definitely didn’t have the same challenge.

I spent a lot of time with his friendship groups, which massively helped, before I slowly started to create my own through work and sport.

How might you spend your weekends?

Saturdays are definitely sport-orientated. Some form of exercise in the morning followed by a nice coffee (and pastry).

Gavin fancies himself as the next Diarmuid Gavin so he’ll tip away in the garden until lunchtime.

Depending on the time of year, we’ll either head out to watch some live sport or meet up with friends to watch a game in a pub. Very rarely when you’re out in London will you head home and then head back out, so we’d usually stay out for dinner and a couple of drinks until the last train home after midnight.

Sundays are almost always a chilled day with lots of prep for the week ahead! We also like to take walks along the riverside in Kingston or Richmond, and if we’ve really got our act together, we take a drive out to the Surrey hills - there’s a spot called Newlands Corner that has unbelievable views, but walks there aren’t gentle strolls, you’d work up a good sweat on those hills.

(This was all pre-baby, I’m realising all the freedom I had is somewhat gone, lol).

Tell us a bit about the culture of where you live?

I’ve definitely become used to the culture in London, but it’s only when I return from spending time at home in Cork that I really see/feel the difference.

People keep themselves to themselves in London and can be very guarded. Not like the people of Cork, who will go out of their way to say hello to you or help you in an instant if they think you need it.

With that said, once I’ve built a rapport or relationship with anyone in London, they can be just as pleasant as anyone in Cork.

Tell us about your career?

I graduated from UCC with a degree in Physiology. I had never really contemplated working in sport, but as my degree came to an end I had a change of heart and headed off to Dublin to study exercise physiology in Trinity College. It was at the time the best route I saw into a career in sport.

After a couple of years, the idea of becoming a strength and conditioning coach became more and more appealing but it wasn’t until I moved to London that that idea became a real possibility.

Looking back now, I cannot believe how lucky I was to have found Locker27, a strength and conditioning facility in Weybridge, Surrey (20 minutes from our home in Surbiton). Its owner has been in the game for more than 25 years and had so much knowledge of the field and connections in the industry, he really helped kickstart my coaching career.

I have been coaching now for eight years and have been so fortunate to have worked with some world-renowned strength and conditioning practitioners. None of which would have been possible without my link to Locker27.

Can you tell us about your sporting journey early on in Cork and how that has evolved as you’ve moved to the UK?

I was always known for my commitment and dedication to athletics. I still have my very first trophy from the Cork City Sports back in 1993 (as a very nervous/excited seven-year old) and my last medal from a National Championships in 2012 (as a very tired, uninspired 26 year old).

It was an incredible time that gave me more than I could ever imagined. Memories and life-long friends being the standout.

Just before I moved to London I got involved with Olympic weightlifting - it was something fun I took up to replace the void of athletics.

Long story short - when I moved to London, it became my second sport and I saw a lot more success doing that than I did in athletics.

I think I had always known that being strong came easier to me than being fast. What I think contributed a lot to my success in that sport was the access to top class facilities and coaches. I had links to coaches that had multiple Olympians under their belts, and Locker 27 had equipment I was only used to seeing on TV.

What has been your most memorable moment in your new location so far?

Probably having a baby. Myself and Gavin welcomed baby Reggie into the world in October, 2023. We haven’t had much time with him in London as we flew home in December to get married. We tied the knot on the 29th in Castlemartyr. There was never any doubt about what country we’d get married in.

Any special mentions to friends or family back in Cork?

All of my family and some of my closest friends are based in Cork.

I have two brothers who have five kids between them. Credit must go to their wives for how amazing they are. I spend a lot of time with them whenever I’m home, and equally with my in-laws who are also based in Cork.

If you were back in Cork for one day, what would the ideal day be for you?

I think a long walk down by the Marina and a coffee with one of my besties would do the trick. Some family time and a nice meal out to finish off the day!

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

Some down-time with my new baby and new husband! Figuring out our new life together and making lots of memories.

Is there anything that you especially miss about Cork?

The intimacy of the city, the proximity of friends and family. The easy pace of life and the sound of someone saying ‘no bother’ or ‘thanks a mil’.