This karate black belt might have graced the world stage at senior level, but she’s set for a career away from the dojo helping some of the most vulnerable people in society.
Rioghnach McGuigan is in the third year of a .
But besides her studies the 20-year-old is a multiple-time Northern Ireland karate champion who has also competed in the European and World Championships in the ‘Wado-Ryu’ style.
She was also handed a lucrative sport-related Performance Scholarship at Hope, which has provided her with £1,000 per year for each year of her time in Merseyside.
Rioghnach - ‘Rio’, to her friends - is an accomplished 1st dan black belt in her karate, having first taken it up as a six year old, on a whim, after seeing the sport in action on a TV advert.
Yet Rio, from Castlewellan, County Down, has no plans to turn karate into a fully-fledged career.
Instead she plans to continue in education to fulfil her dreams of becoming a clinical psychologist.
She explains: “I’ve competed in karate for many years and it’s a sport that has taken me all over the world.
“I fought for Northern Ireland in the European Championships in Bulgaria, and I even went to Tenerife to fight in the World Championships in 2017 at full senior level. It’s something I’m really proud of and I still can’t believe I can say that I’ve done it.
“I got selected again for the Europeans and the Worlds after that point, but one of those tournaments was in Chile at the time of some high-profile riots and protests, so it wasn’t safe for us to go. And then, of course, Covid-19 hit.”
Rio is trying to inspire the next generation of karate enthusiasts, too.
She’s coaching youngsters, with the mixed-ability trainees’ ranging from six years old right up to 18 years old.
But she adds: “Professionally, I ultimately want to complete a Master’s degree and then a PhD and get qualified as a clinical psychologist.
“I see myself working within the NHS, helping those with depression and anxiety all the way through to more complex conditions such as personality disorders.
“And while I still love karate, it’s not something that is going to be able to sustain me financially. While I plan to carry on competing, I’ll always need a real job, and I’m passionate about putting my academic skills to good use as a psychologist.”
Meanwhile Rio says her time at Hope has been enabled to make friends that’ll last a lifetime.
She reveals: “I’ve met some amazing friends and I’ve loved my time at university. The nightlife in Liverpool is a particular highlight, too.
“And there’s certainly no shortage of people from Ireland here at Hope. It really is a home from home for the Irish community.”