LORRAINE BRINGS SILVER AND GOLD HOME FROM WINTER GAMES
DELGANY WOMAN WINS TWO MEDALS IN SPECIAL OLYMPICS WINTER GAMES
DELGANY athlete Lorraine Whelan made a triumphant return to Ireland last Saturday with a gold medal and a silver medal from the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria.
Lorraine (36) claimed a silver medal last Wednesday in her division, saying she was ‘over the moon’ at the achievement. ‘I attacked it at the start, the middle and the bottom. Bring on tomorrow.’
Sure enough, tomorrow came, and last Thursday Lorraine won gold in the intermediate slalom.
She and the rest of the Irish team arrived in Dublin airport on Saturday.
Lorraine has competed in Alpine skiing in three World Games and one European Games and has been skiing for more than 20 years. She is a member of Kilternan Karvers Special Olympics club.
Lorraine also enjoys swimming, socialising with her friends, and she works part time in Bank of Ireland as an assistant.
It was back to business as usual for the hard-working woman this week.
She started skiing at a young age and found it very difficult at first. However she took to it, and eventually came to love the sport.
Her training includes going to the gym, and swimming and she also competes as a swimmer.
Team Ireland head ski coach Jill Sloan was very proud of all the athletes. ‘ The medals they have achieved are incredible,’ she said. ‘We can’t ask for more. They have had an amazing time. It has been so much fun. I just can’t believe it - I cried buckets.’
Lorraine’s combined time for the two runs in the Slalom finals was 111 seconds, ultimately winning her the event’s gold medal.
Her proud parents Marie and Brendan and other members of her family joined Lorraine in Austria, where they helped her celebrate her great victories.