Winning a Paralympic gold medal is supposed to be the happy ending… but for Ellen Keane, it was only part of the story.

From becoming Ireland’s youngest Paralympian at 13 to winning gold in Tokyo, Ellen shares what we don’t see - the pressure of being “the good girl”, the mental crash after big highs, and the loneliness that can follow even your proudest moments.

We talk identity, self-worth, and the voice in your head that can be your biggest critic. Ellen opens up about growing up with a limb difference, learning to stop hiding, and building a mindset rooted in self-belief... even when it feels “delusional”.

We also get into the reality of what comes next: retiring, losing a sense of identity, and having the courage to start again - stepping into media and using her voice for disability advocacy and representation.

This is a conversation about resilience, reinvention, and being kinder to yourself along the way.

Support the show

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast and would like to show your support, you can buy me a coffee at the link below. Every contribution helps me keep creating honest, uplifting conversations about reinvention, self-belief and the messy middle. Thank you for being here 🤍

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545407/support

Stay up to date with The Delusional Optimist Podcast on Instagram, here. You can follow host Diana Bunici on Instagram here - expect lots of cute pics of her dogs Benny & Charlie!