World champ Sanita rows in with Cork Person of the Month award
BALLINCOLLIG ROWER ADDS YET ANOTHER TOP ACCOLADE TO HER BULGING TROPHY CABINET
WHILE her dreams of Olympic gold may have been put on hold for now, World Champion rower and Ballincollig resident Sanita Puspure has been afforded one of her adopted county’s most prestigious accolades for the second time.
The Latvian-born athlete was this week unveiled as the Cork Person of the Month for March – having already won the monthly award back in November 2018.
Am accomplished junior rower in her homeland, Sanita moved to Ireland in 2006 in search of a better life and to further her sporting career, gaining full Irish nationality in 2011.
Through sheer hard work and determination, she has risen up the ranks of the sports elite, representing Ireland at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and narrowly missing out on a medal at three consecutive World Championships.
In 2018 she finally won gold in the single schulls at the 2018 World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
It was little wonder then that as the Irish tricolour was raised and the first strains of Amhrán na bhFiann echoed around the rowing complex at Plovdiv in September 2018, she could not help but get emotional, particularly as her husband, Kaspar; and children, Patrick and Daniela, were on hand to witness the historic occasion.
At the time Sanita admitted taking inspiration from seeing Cork brothers Gary and Paul O’Donovan, who were the joint winners of the 2016 Cork Person(s) of the Year Award, take gold.
“I found it very emotional seeing the boys win gold. I wanted the anthem playing for me as well. It was amazing, the first time the anthem had been played for me, ever, so was I absolutely ecstatic. I cant’ believe its happened. I’m really going to cherish that moment.”
After the win, Kaspar took to social media to express his pride.
“This woman has been hit hard a lot of times, yet every time she got up and kept fighting. Anyone who is thinking about giving up on their dream, just look at this woman and believe that nothing is impossible,” he wrote.
Last year saw Sanita win gold at the European Championships in Switzerland, retained her world championship crown as she swept to gold in Austria and qualified for the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics.
To top off what had been, by any standard, a phenomenal year for Sanita, she was last December named the 2019 Irish Times/Sport Ireland ‘Sportswoman of the Year’, beating strong opposition from other world champions, including boxer Katie Taylor.
Accepting her second Cork Person of the Month award, Sanita said she was thrilled all of the hard work over the years had finally paid off.
“This award acknowledges the hard work and dedication that goes into representing Ireland at sporting events. I’m delighted to be named Cork Person of the Month, and I am proud to have the support of the people of Cork behind me, once again,” she said.
Awards organiser, Mallow-native Manus O’Callaghan, said the award was thoroughly deserved and that Sanita was “rowing better now than anytime over the last five years”.
“Her drive and determination to succeed is incredible, and she has made a gigantic contribution to Ireland’s standing in world rowing” he said.
“All of Cork are wishing Sanita well in the future, as this two-time world-champion seems to be in the form of her life. We are so excited to see what lies ahead for her and look forward to supporting her every step of the way.”
Sanita will now go forward for possible selection as the 2020 Cork Person of the Year, the winner of which will be announced in December.