It is almost exactly 10 years since the former Guernsey FC player was stretchered off with a severe knee injury at a fateful home game against Faversham Town, from which his footballing career ultimately never recovered. Any shot at playing in the Games was ruined by injury.
Looking back further to his triumphant boxing days, around Gage Demore’s historic junior ABA title of 2010, he recalls being ‘absolutely gutted’ when a significant push to get that combat sport into the Games fell through.
Now a 35-year-old airport firefighter with two children, he made it third time lucky when he was named in Guernsey’s eight-strong triathlon squad for the Faroe Islands 2027, realising his lifelong ambition.
‘I thought it was a dream of mine that I was not going to achieve,’ he said.
‘It means the absolute world to me.
‘I love representing our island – there’s no bigger honour in my case.
‘I know what it means to put on a Guernsey top from my football and boxing days and I don’t think it’s something to be taken for granted.’
Domaille’s previous sporting highlights included winning all his boxing bouts, together with captaining Guernsey to victory in the 2012-13 U21 Muratti and claiming four consecutive Priaulx League trophies.
At Tooting and Mitcham in September 2016, just a month before that devastating injury, he scored twice including a last-minute winner to get GFC their first away points in a good while.
He has been open about the depths of despair he plummeted to amid his injury woes.
After 1.5 years of rehabilitation, he returned to the pitch and almost immediately suffered another rupture.
‘I went through it all again,’ he said.
‘It took away three years of my life.’
His injury saga also included a faulty hip operation that left him with two blood clots.
The reality of going through all that in his twenties really hit home.
‘I was in a really dark place. My wife had to inject me in my stomach every morning and night so I did not have any more blood clots.’
Indeed, he has continued to thank ever-supportive wife Lucy Domaille into the latest chapter of his sporting career.
This improbable comeback began when, like many other aspiring sportspeople, he found inspiration in the Guernsey 2023 home Island Games.
‘I was in awe of how fit the triathletes were.
‘When I found out how hard they work and how much they are putting into their training, I thought that’s something I would really like to give a go.’
Domaille is now among their ranks, following a breakthrough season where he finished third Guernseyman and 16th overall at the Jersey Triathlon and more recently sixth in the significantly longer Granite 100.
But he can now admit he made a ‘complete mess’ of his two previous seasons and gave himself an ultimatum heading into this year.
‘I made the decision to make the right choices or stop altogether.’
Domaille has reinvented himself as a competitor, dropping from 96kg to 82kg without neglecting fuelling and while prioritising recovery.
The leaner and meaner triathlete is inspired by his ‘phenomenal’ teammates, not least firefighting colleague Ethan Woodhead.
Although he already has his Games place locked in, he feels that the hard work is only just starting.
Domaille is once again determined to be at his absolute best when he competes in Guernsey colours.
He considers the swim his weakness, having barely been in the top 100 coming out the water in Jersey and played catch-up from there. So?
‘If I have to go to the pool every day and work on my technique and do the drills, I will do it.’
