Major water safety award for Denise
DENISE BOLGER, from Ballycarney, Enniscorthy, is Irish Water Safety’s Sport Person of the Year.
Minister Simon Coveney made the presentation to Denise to mark her great achievements this year in lifesaving-related sport at a function at Dublin Castle.
Nineteen-year-old Denise is a student in DCU and worked as a Lifeguard for Wexford County Council, on Courtown beach this summer, and now works part-time in Courtown’s Forest Park swimming pool as a lifeguard and swimming teacher.
Since the age of 15, Denise has been on Irish Surf Lifesaving teams for World amd European Championships, and started competing with Wexford Water Safety at the age of eight, winning numerous national titles in beach sprints, beach flags on the board and in Taplin events. She is national champion in the beach flags at both youth and senior.
In Holland earlier this year, Denise helped Ireland win its first gold at the World Lifesaving Championships.
In the pool Denise won gold and set a new world youth record of 11.04 secs in the Line Throw event with teammate Roisin Cahill from Clare as subject.
On the beach Denise was fifth in the 90m beach sprint, 10th in the beach flags, and won gold in the 4x90m beach relay. She was the anchor on the relay, bringing the team to the fantastic first place along with her Wexford Water Safety teammate Georgina Steele, from Glynn, and Wicklow’s duo of Emma O’Brien and Emer Kelly.