Chloe & Judith MacCombe
Course(s): Level 3 Diploma in Exercise Referral and Level 3 Personal Trainer
Meet the ‘Tandem Twins’, former Sports students who both represented Ireland at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games. The sisters were diagnosed at birth with a form of albinism which means their vision is restricted to around 1/3 of that of a person with 20/20 vision, but they refused to let their eyesight hold back their ambition.
We represented Ireland at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, and one of our proudest moments was when we received a guard of honour from NWRC staff and students when we returned to the College to host a Q&A masterclass on Sport Psychology.
Tell us about yourselves
We are the "Tandem Twins." We competed at the Paralympics in 2024 in the Triathlon event which involved a swim of 750m, 20km cycle and 5km run. We were diagnosed at birth with a form of albinism which means our vision is restricted to around one-third of that of a person with 20/20 vision, but we have never let this hold us back our ambition.
Recently Judith and her guide Eimear Nicholls claimed 4th place at the 2024 World Triathlon Para Championships at Torremolinos, while Chloe previously won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with Catherine A. Sands as her sighted guide.-----
What’s it like to compete against your sister?
We love what we do – even though we often face against each other. We’re very close, but also very competitive. There’s always a mix of emotions when one twin overtakes the other. At first, it’s exciting—“Yay!”—but then reality hits and you think: “Right, now I have to catch her!” Our sibling rivalry is intense, but we also motivate and support each other to always give our best.
-----
Do you have a proudest moment?
One of our proudest moments was when we received a guard of honour from NWRC staff and students when we returned to the College to host a Q&A masterclass on Sport Psychology and had the opportunity to share our experience of competing at the Paralympics.
-----
Fun Fact:
The sisters also enjoy sports such as rugby, karate, and rowing, and play the clarinet, flute, piano and guitar. The twins say they would never let each other win. Judith is the stronger swimmer and Chloe is a stronger runner.
Be like Chloe and Judith...
Make your mark with a course that excites you, challenges you, and prepares you for career success.
