Mona McSharry on her ambitions ahead of the Euopean and World Championships.
GRANGE SWIMMING SENSATION MONA MCSHARRY LOOKS AHEAD TO BUSY SUMMER AS SHE COMPETES AT EUROPEAN AND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
AT this time of year most teenagers are counting down the days until they skip out the school door and look forward to the summer holidays. For one Grange teenager the summer is going to be a hectic one as she represents her country at both the European and World Junior Swimming Championships.
At just 16 years of age, Mona McSharry has become a swimming sensation, garnering huge praise nationally for her achievements and has become one- to- watch in the sport.
Not only is she competing at the European and World Juniors, she is also going to the World Seniors, a serious feat at that age.
Mona was named as the Juvenile Women’s Sportsperson of the Year at the Sligo Champion Sports Awards back in March and although she was unable to attend the event as she was competing in Edinburgh, Mona said it was a great honour picking up the award.
The season so far has been a positive one for Mona. At the Irish Open championships back in the National Aquatic Centre back in April, she won three National titles and broke three records. She dominated the 100m Breaststroke final as she crept closer to Fiona Doyle’s Irish Senior Record. Mona smashed her own junior record of 1: 07.75 touching in 1: 07.38.
Mona returned from last year’s European Championships with two medals, a silver and bronze, after a fantastic performance in Hungary. At just 15 years of age, she won bronze in the 50m Breaststroke on the opening night of the championships, and then claimed Silver in the 100m Breaststroke.
The young athlete was given a hero’s welcome when she returned to Grange, with hundreds of people coming out to congratulate her in a special homecoming.
With less than three weeks to go before the European Junior Championships in Israel, the countdown is very much on for Mona and her fellow teammates.
Earlier this year along with fellow National champion Conor Ferguson from Ulster, both were named as the team leaders ahead of the World and Europeans, although Mona modestly says it was more of a media twist to name them as leaders.
“It’s going to be a really busy summer but I cannot wait.
“It was a big honour being named as a team leader with Conor but in a sense that was how the media put that.”
There are twelve swimmers on the team in total she added with various age ranges. “I’m one of the oldest as this is my last year in the Juniors, most of the swimmers are 15 or 16.” Mona will be competing in a variety of breaststroke
competitions at the champion- ships in Israel, where she will be hoping to follow on last year’s incredible feat.
The pressure is on but the young athlete is completely focused and the hard work in training has been done.
“The Europeans last year in Hungary were amazing.
“Going into them, I knew I was ranked quite high but to come home with a silver and a bronze medal was amazing,” she admits. Then to receive a special homecoming back in North Sligo was a memory to cherish, Mona adds.
“Coming back to Grange and the homecoming, it was really, really nice.
“It was incredibly special for me to see the amount of people who came out and knowing that I have all that support there. “That meant a lot to me,” the teenager points out. Representing her country and being among the elite swimmers of her generation doesn’t seem to faze the Grange girl in anyway and her drive and motivation when talking about her love for the sport has to be admired.
The story of her success didn’t happen overnight, it began when she was five years old and even back then her passion for the sport was unfolding.
“I really loved taking part in the competitions and the Community Games too. I joined Marlins Swim Club in Ballyshannon when I was eight.
“I was doing small competitions and I just had a love for swimming.
“I love the water and really took to it,” she explains. “Marlins is a really good club and I enjoy training there.”
There is twelve in total in the Team Ireland group which is led by John Rudd.
“We have a new leader in John, he started back in January and he’s doing a really good job. I’ve made a lot of friends although it’s not really until the busy summer that we see each other.”
Being a high performance athlete training daily and also having to juggle the schoolwork must be a handful at times but Mona is positive about her busy schedule.
“I’m in TY at the moment in Coláiste Cholmchille in Ballyshannon. Being in TY this year made it a bit easier as I hadn’t a lot of school work so I had more time for training and it will be different next year being in 5th Year.”
She puts in an immense training programme every week and her motivation is excellent.
“I train every day apart except Sundays, that’s my day off.
“My training ranges between two to three hours every day.
“It varies, I do some in the morning and evenings, maybe an hour and a half each time.
“I suppose I do have great motivation but that’s because I love it.
“I don’t see it like being a drag or being difficult in any way, I know what I’m working for,” she adds, portraying the driven attitude a top sportsperson needs to be successful.
Her younger brother Mouric ( 14) is also an avid swimmer in Marlins and the siblings are going to a lot of competitions together. Returning to sit in a Maths class after winning two European medals must bring lots of praise from her fellow schoolmates.
“It doesn’t really hit me until they say something like you’re going to the World Juniors and oh my God we can’t believe you’re going to that! It is great to be able to do well and achieve something in sport and in particular the sport I love,” she says, modestly admitting she would like to inspire other young athletes that dreams can come true.
As a child, she said watching Fiona Doyle was a big inspiration to her. “I always was a big fan of hers as she did so well for Ireland and was an inspiration to me.”
Another aspect keeping Mona super fit is a balanced food and nutrition programme. “That is a big part, eating healthy but I am into healthy food anyhow so I don’t find it hard. My mum is a really good cook too and I like eating well.”
She was full of praise for her parents’ support in helping her achieve her dreams. “It is going to be a busy summer and they always help me out in whatever way they can.”
Following school, Mona said she would like to go to college in America, with a sports scholarship her ideal dream. “That would be amazing,” she says.
After the Europeans in Israel, focus will turn to the World Junior Championships in Indianapolis in August but before that, Mona will be at the World Seniors in Hungary.
“Being able to go to the World Seniors is a great confidence boost to me.
“It will be great experience to go and a lot of work will have to go into that.
“Everyone is at the best of the best that will be there,” she adds.
Performing on the world stage would make anyone nervous, let alone for a teenager. “I do get nervous, it’s only about three weeks to the Europeans so the nerves are starting to kick in.
“The hard work has been done now in training, I have to remember that I’m doing it for myself. I’ve never been to Israel before, it will be going with the team and I’m really looking forward to it.”
The well wishes are already flowing in from various people and Mona said it’s a great boost having that support. “It’s great to hear people talk about what I have done,” she says. And there is bound to be much more to come in the future from this swimming star.
MY TRAINING RANGES BETWEEN TWO TO THREE HOURS EVERY DAY. I DON’T SEE IT LIKE BEING A DRAGORBEING DIFFICULT IN ANY WAY, I KNOW WHAT I’M WORKING FOR