ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia — Duncan O’Mahony is a former football player. He played as a kicker and stood out in the CFL on teams such as the Calgary Stampeders, B.C. Lions, Edmonton Eskimos and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Although he was born in Ireland and spent his childhood with his parents in various countries, he is considered an exemplary citizen of Abbotsford in British Columbia.

O’Mahony developed his athletic abilities over time after he moved to Abbotsford. His first love was soccer, but everything changed in high school when he his school’s football team needed a kicker. He went to tryouts and was better than everyone. At that moment, his life changed.

“Growing up being Irish, soccer was our first love,” O’Mahony said in 2019 to the Abbotsford Sports Hall of Fame. “We were playing lots of sports here in Abbotsford, club level. It wasn’t until Abbottsford senior secondary that I got an opportunity to play football for the first time. There was an announcement at school asking for any soccer players to show up. The team needed a punter, and I had no idea what I was doing. I showed up, kicked the ball higher and further than everybody else, and I guess they say the rest is history.”

At the University of British Columbia, things snowballed for O’Mahony. Upon completing his college career, he joined the Calgary Stampeders for the 2001 CFL season, his first professional team.

Success was not long in coming, although it was hard to assimilate all the changes in his life.

“To leave college early and to get drafted and make the team, beat out a veteran, win the job and then go all the way and win it all was quite the roller coaster ride,” O’Mahony said. “That first year was really special because it was an extension of college.”

O’Mahony’s career was successful in his seven years as a professional in the CFL. Not only was he an All-Star selection, but he also won the Grey Cup in 2001 with the Calgary Stampeders.

His time with the B.C. Lions meant a lot to him. Although he only played the 2004 season with the Lions, he enjoyed being so close to his family and his home.

“It was an awesome to come and play back in your home province,” he said. “This is the province where I started all my football from high school to junior to university, now professional. … It was quite nice to come back and play here.”

With the B.C. Lions, O’Mahony came close to winning the Grey Cup. In 2004, the B.C. Lions lost 27-19 to the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL title slipped away. Duncan scored two field goals in that game, which wasn’t enough to help his team pull off the win.

In 2019, O’Mahony was inducted into the Abbotsford Sports Hall of Fame. His accomplishments on the field as a kicker will go down in the history books. From his time with the Abbotsford Air Force junior football to his professional career in the CFL, he always gave his best effort.

After his time with the CFL had come to a close, O’Mahony moved on to a career as a mental health professional. He is a cognitive therapist who pulls in an emotion-focused lens and can connect with people.

O’Mahony works with young people involved in their parents’ problems, so another one of his missions is to help couples. In addition, he found a niche in the mental health of athletes, not only professionals but also those who are just starting out.

“Working in the field of mental health, and more specifically with suicidal, homicidal kids, we have these children that are quite vulnerable, and I have a skillset to connect with them and help them in these most problematic times, and that wasn’t just enough for me,” O’Mahony said. “I noticed that there is a niche of athletes that are not getting the support they need. We’re seeing more and more mental health and some emerging mental illness in athletes because of the pressures and the demands and the stress that the people are experiencing at a younger age, not just professional, but college high school and younger.

“There’s a plethora of work out there. I’m just glad that I have an opportunity. I’m blessed to be able to help these kids in these most vulnerable moments.”

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