'Lympic Legends #3 - Gary O'Toole

In the same fashion as Timmy McCarthy, anyone whose knowledge and enthusiasm can attract you to a sport you wouldn't normally watch deserves a ton of credit. And in that respect, Gary O'Toole is certainly worthy of a pat on the back. But it isn't just his affable TV personality that makes him something of a hero.

He is, essentially, a superhero. A former world class swimmer, who enjoyed success at World University level, as well as the European Championships in 1989. This was while he was studying towards his current profession, as a doctor. He is also, I am reliably informed by women, very handsome. I have never read Aquaman, but a fucking swimmer/doctor/TV star/heartthrob is kinda how I imagine comic-book characters operate. He probably has a utility belt too, but RTE keep it hidden under the desk.

Gary's main contribution, however, may be his straight-up legendary contributions out of the pool and off-screen. He played a key role in the justice brought upon the perpetrators of an abuse scandal that rocked Irish sport, and was the sole sceptic in a sea of ignorant bliss after Michelle Smith stunned the world by winning 3 golds in Atlanta. Two years later, his suspicions were proven to be correct. 14 years after that, we doff our caps to O'Toole as a true 'Lympic Legend.