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Leading the Irish team in Valladolid will be\u00a0reigning UK and Ireland champion, primary school teacher Emma Quirke who is originally from Killarney, Co Kerry, and is based in Blessington, Co Wicklow. Picture: Dan Linehan<\/p>\nWhile other gym-goers are working up a sweat for marathons, Siobh\u00e1n Quinn is training for something a little bit different as she counts down the days until the World Jigsaw Championships.<\/p>\n
The Tipperary native is a proud member of the Irish Jigsaw team who are facing their biggest challenge yet on the international stage.<\/p>\n
Siobh\u00e1n\u2019s fitness routine is part of her preparation for the annual tournament which takes place in the Millennium Dome in Valladolid, Spain from\u00a0September 15 until September 21.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her teammates, including reigning UK and Ireland champion, primary school teacher Emma Quirke from Kerry, have been completing numerous jigsaws each day in the run-up to the contest.<\/p>\n
Siobh\u00e1n told the Irish Examiner that the sport requires dedication and strategy as well as physical and mental training.<\/p>\n
\n It doesn\u2019t affect my hands, generally it\u2019s my back that is impacted, but I do train and go to the gym to keep myself fit and my back strong for doing jigsaw puzzles.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n
Competitive puzzling or speed puzzling, is where participants \u2014 in individuals, pairs and team categories \u2014 are up against the clock to finish jigsaws at speed.<\/p>\n
Everyone receives the same puzzle and the first person, pair, or team to complete the task wins the challenge.<\/p>\n
The Irish team was formed after puzzlers from Ireland met at competitions abroad and subsequently set up the Irish Jigsaw Association.<\/p>\n
Leading the Irish team in Valladolid will be\u00a0reigning UK and Ireland champion, primary school teacher Emma Quirke who is originally from Killarney, Co Kerry, and is based in Blessington, Co Wicklow. Picture: Dan Linehan<\/p>\n
Its dedicated team including its four core members \u2014 Julie Workman, Darren Quirke, Emma Quirke, and Siobh\u00e1n Quinn \u2014 meet regularly, swapping tips and puzzles and participating in online speed puzzling sessions.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s different when it comes to training,\u201d Siobh\u00e1n explains. \u201cFor me, it was my back that was getting a bit sore so I started doing weights and dead hangs in the gym and this really helped my back and core.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re doing jigsaws you\u2019re bending over the board for long periods so it can be quite intense.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n The gym isn\u2019t for everybody but that\u2019s how I keep myself fit and ready to puzzle.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n
Siobh\u00e1n\u2019s passion for puzzling began during the pandemic when she saw a special offer on jigsaws in Easons.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were selling three for the price of two and I got 1,000, 1,500, and a 2,000-piece puzzle that I still have today. I did all three in a very fast time. After that I started looking for other puzzles and it just grew from there.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t even look at 500-piece jigsaws until I discovered speed puzzling. If I\u2019m spending money on a jigsaw I want it to last as long as possible. It just gives me so much joy to have the puzzle and to tip out the pieces and then complete it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Siobh\u00e1n has completed puzzles with as many as 5,000 pieces since beginning her training.<\/p>\n
\u201cI only have space for the 1,500-piece puzzles. This meant I had to get a giant form board which allowed me to do it in sections and finally put it on the floor so I can view the finished piece.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been to Spain twice as well as the UK nationals so this will be my fourth competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
And puzzling is not her only pastime.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went through a phase of hula hooping, just because I love to dance and I\u2019m into music. Just like with puzzling there is almost something meditative about it.<\/p>\n
\n I used to read a lot but now I do puzzles while listening to audiobooks. You tend to lose track of time when doing puzzles because you\u2019re not thinking about anything else.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n
Others who have represented Ireland in puzzling in the past include Ayel\u00e9n Galarza Rial, who has been living in Ireland with her husband Franco for the last number of years.<\/p>\n
While the 33-year-old is travelling with the Irish team she will be representing her home country of Argentina in this year\u2019s championships.<\/p>\n
Ayel\u00e9n also started puzzling during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cJigsaws where I come from are very expensive. Then I found a community that was lending out puzzles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe used to meet in the park to swap puzzles. The biggest jigsaw I\u2019ve ever done has been 6,000 pieces. It was a picture of Venice that took me three months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI planned to do a puzzle every day as part of my training but now I\u2019ve found myself doing three a day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The maths teacher said she is looking forward to the competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI most enjoy the pairs category because it\u2019s a different challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n You have to communicate with each other and find strategies but the main challenge with the pairs is trying not to hit elbows.\n <\/p>\n
I\u2019m most nervous about the individual ones because the last two years I\u2019ve been in the finals but the standard is getting higher and it\u2019s going to be much harder to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ayel\u00e9n, who lives in Dublin admits she was initially met with mixed reactions from friends and family.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first time I told my family they asked me if I was crazy. However, as soon as they started watching me do it online they got why I was doing it and were very supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n