Tori Peña represented Ireland in the women’s pole vault at two Olympic Games, competing at London 2012 and Rio 2016 as Ireland’s first ever Olympic pole vaulter.

Born in Los Alamitos, California, Peña qualifies for Ireland through her maternal grandmother Angela Coyle, who was from the Muff/Burnfoot area of Co. Donegal and emigrated to California after the Second World War. Peña grew up in Huntington Beach in a proudly Irish household and competed in the World Irish Dancing Championships in Killarney in 2003 – the first time she set foot in Ireland.

She graduated from Edison High School and earned a degree in International Development Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she competed as a pole vaulter despite persistent injuries. She acquired dual Irish-American citizenship in June 2010 and joined Finn Valley AC in Co. Donegal under coach Patsy McGonagle, who was instrumental in developing her international career.

She set an Irish outdoor record of 4.52 metres at the San Diego Triton Invitational in April 2012 to qualify for London – even having to travel on a separate airline from the rest of the Irish team as only Ryanair would transport her poles. At London 2012 she failed to clear the opening qualifying height of 4.10 metres and did not register a mark – an experience she described as a major learning in how to handle pressure. She returned four years later to compete at Rio 2016, where she performed significantly better.