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| Human Interest | |
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Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Manchester, ENG |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | City of Lisburn AC: Northern Ireland |
General Interest | |
| Other sports | She played camogie [female hurling] at club and county level in Northern Ireland, and played in a national championships final. (Portaferry GAC Facebook page, 10 Jun 2015; buzz.ie, 02 Mar 2020) |
| Famous relatives | Her father played hurling at county level in Northern Ireland. (munsterfans.com, 25 Jul 2010; irishsport.ie, 27 Sep 2019) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Steve Vernon [personal], GBR |
Further Personal Information | |
| Higher education | Physiotherapy - University College Dublin: Ireland |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Playing guitar, reading, arts and crafts. (irishsport.ie, 27 Sep 2019) |
| Injuries | She missed the 2015 European Indoor Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, due to plantar fasciitis that sidelined her for three weeks. (bbc.co.uk, 23 Feb 2015; campus.ie, 25 Mar 2016) In 2012 a left ankle injury meant she did not compete during the indoor season leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She then competed in three events in 10 days in an attempt to make the qualifying time for the 2012 Games, and managed to achieve the B standard, however she was not selected to compete in London due to her ankle injury significantly worsening. She eventually required surgery to remove a bone spur, and she subsequently missed the 2013 season and did not return to competitive action until 2014. (independent.ie, 03 Feb 2012; campus.ie, 25 Mar 2016) |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs | "I have a routine I stick to each race day. It means I feel calm and ready because my prep for every race is the same. I plan my timetable for race day the day before, right down to when I will have my last snack before the race. I write it all on a piece of paper and slot in the back of my phone to cast my eye over on race day. Previously I did have a lucky pair of shorts and socks, but I decided later I make my own luck and it's not down to what I wear." (irishsport.ie, 27 Sep 2019) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | "My physical education teacher Mrs McCambridge asked me if I'd like to try cross-country and I jumped at the chance. I played senior camogie [female hurling] for my club and minor level for County Down and had to make a decision at around age 19 between that and athletics. Playing camogie you can make one mistake and recover, but in athletics if I make one in a race it can be all over. And you're only out there for four minutes too. I do miss the team element of sport. But getting the chance to compete at the Olympic Games meant that I focused on athletics." |
General Interest | |
| Most influential person in career | Her aunt Edel Mason, camogie coach Elizabeth Collins, coaches Steve Vernon, Eamonn Christie and Jerry Kiernan. "Jerry began coaching me prior to my ankle surgery. He took me on while I was in possibly the worst place I have ever been as an athlete." (campus.ie, 25 Mar 2016; irishsport.ie, 27 Sep 2019) |
| Awards and honours | She was named 2019 Athletics Ireland Athlete of the Year. (athleticsireland.ie, 28 Nov 2019) In 2011 she was named Junior Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards in Ireland. (ucd.ie, 13 Nov 2011) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | She first ran a cross-country race in her final year at primary school, and took up running seriously at Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
General Interest | |
| Ambitions | To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (buzz.ie, 02 Mar 2020) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English |
General Interest | |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning bronze at the 2016 [outdoor] and 2019 [indoor] European championships. (irishsport.ie, 27 Sep 2019; Facebook page, 23 Jun 2020) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Training Regime | She trains up to three times a day. |
General Interest | |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Sport is both my identity and my driver. The beauty of sport is there are so many options out there and there is something for everyone." (irishsport.ie, 27 Sep 2019; buzz.ie, 02 Mar 2020) |