Listen to the full interview with Sean via the podcast.

While controversies including the terrorist threat and the anti-LGBT laws have marred the build-up to the Winter Olympics which start next month, it is easy to forget that there are thousands of athletes keeping their focus on the task at hand.

One of those is Sean Greenwood who will represent Ireland in the Skeleton.

Formely a competitor for Canada, Greenwood has made the switch to Ireland and tonight he spoke to Joe Molloy.

Ranked 39th in the world, his heritage led him to choose Ireland.

"It's because of my ties with my Mum's family and because of how much time I spent in Canada and Ireland. My grandfather was born in Canada too and emigrated back to Ireland as one of 10 boys. My Mum got the passport for him and then emigrated back to Canada. So it's been back and forth for almost three generations now," said Greenwood.

For those not familiar with the skeleton which was incorporated into the Olympics in 2002, it is the sport in which competitors rocket down a frozen track headfirst with just a small sled for company. 

Greenwood only got involved in the Skeleton after playing rugby at university.

"I basically went online and researched it and how to get into it. They had some club teams in Calgary so one weekend they had a series of events. The first time you can't wrap your head around it and you think because you're going 100 kilometres that it's reckless. It is but you're all padded up. It's flight or flight. There's no brakes and you've never been so alive in your life," said Greenwood who explained that the average speed is 118 kilometres per hour and described the skeleton experience as "surreal", although his mother naturally found it frightening.

"It's not the most difficult sport but it is more about mental training. You're doing about 5Gs in most of the corners and really know where you are on track and be very patient and time things properly. So it's more mental training than physical training."