Irish race walker Rob Heffernan’s bid to secure gold at his fifth Olympic Games took a giant step forward today when he kicked off Day 1 of his ‘Road to Rio’ training programme with the backing of Nissan.

The popular Cork athlete and his wife and coach Marian, a retired elite athlete, have embarked on a unique journey to achieve their Olympic dream while balancing life as parents to four young children.

Nissan is proud to announce that it has appointed Rob and Marian as brand ambassadors and that the Nissan X-Trail will play an integral role in ensuring that Rob is in the best condition possible to secure a medal as Ireland’s longest serving Olympian.

“A lot has changed since I competed at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. I was a single man back then. I am married now with four kids, my wife is my coach and staying at the top of my game is a bigger challenge than ever,” explained the former World Champion.

“We have had two kids since London 2012 who are in car seats. We were running two cars to keep the show on the road with one car doubling up as a family car and training support vehicle. Life has just got a whole lot easier thanks to Nissan,” said Rob.

The new seven-seater Nissan X-Trail will enable Rob and Marian to transport all four children at once, while also providing plenty of space to carry training gear, refuel food and video equipment used by Marian to monitor Rob’s technique during road and off-road training sessions.

“Rob’s training programme will be a lot different for this Olympics. Being away from home for long periods like other years is no longer an option. We have planned to prepare in Cork and to optimise competition and training camps. Home is at the heart of everything,” said Marian.

“That presents its own challenges. Being able to pick up and drop off kids with one car leaves more time for rest and recovery. Our car is a big part of our logistical and back end high performance planning. Nissan’s support could not have come at a better time,” she added.

Rob’s has a tradition of starting his Olympic Games training in early November with his first 10km walk.

“We are delighted to support Rob and Marian and their family and to work with them as brand ambassadors. What they are working to achieve is truly inspiring and Nissan is proud to be part of their unique journey,” said James McCarthy, CEO of Nissan Ireland.