Education
After competing in the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2002, Hession made his major championship debut for Ireland the same year, at the 2002 European Championships where he finished 7th in his heat in a time of 21.28.
After competing in the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2002, Hession made his major championship debut for Ireland the same year, at the 2002 European Championships where he finished 7th in his heat in a time of 21.28.
The following year Hession missed the World Championships but was rewarded with silver medal in the 200 m at the World University Games. He followed this up with a disappointing run in his first World Athletics Championship. In the 2006 European Championships Hession ran poorly in the semi final and with a time of 20.80 was eliminated.
In 2007, Hession broke his first Irish national record by running the 100 m in 10.28 in Kalamata.
Only three weeks later he lowered the record to 10.18 in Vaasa. When Hession stepped up to his preferred distance of 200 m he again broke the Irish record twice.
First running 20.44 in the Sheffield Grand prix, and then 20.30 in the Irish national championships in Dublin. Hession competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
He trained in Japan in the build-up.
In the semi-final he finished fifth in a time of 20.38 however he missed out on a place in the final as only the top four qualified. Hession had another very good season on the 2008 Grand Prix circuit, this time claiming second place in the 200 m at the World Athletics Final. In the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona.
Hession made history as the first Irishman to qualify for the finals of the 200 metres in the European Athletics Championships.
Hession ran 20.71 seconds, finishing 6th in the final. Hession participated in the 2012 London Olympics.
In his first round heat he ran the 200m in a time of 20.69 sec which yielded him 5th place in his heat. That was not enough to see him through to the semi-final.
A graduate of National University of Ireland Galway, Hession is currently working as doctor in Tallaght Hospital, Dublin.
He is the cousin of The Saturdays singer Una Healy.
He is a member of Athenry Athletics Club.