Tears of joy for Erin, 9, as she is Sligo’s Ultimate Athlete
TUBBERCURRY RUNNER WINS TICKETS TO SEE BOLT
THEY came from all over the county and an array of age groups but it was one young Tubbercurry girl who outshone them all in this Sligo City Sports race. Erin Walsh, 9, was the first home on the IT Sligo track to win the title of Sligo’s Ultimate Athlete and also a trip to see superstar Usain Bolt in his last race at the London Worlds before the Jamaican retires. Erin outclassed the group taking on the challenge of a mini- decathlon and the south Sligo athlete was up against adults too which made her win all the more special. She crossed the line to some of the loudest cheers on the night and the emotion on her face said it all. Erin was surrounded by her proud parents, Paul and Patricia, and it seems running in certainly in the Walsh genes, with her brother Adam also competing to be the Ultimate Athlete.
A huge crowd went over to congratulate the Tubbercurry girl and she was overwhelmed when presented with her once- in- lifetime trip to see Bolt in his last race. A thrilled Erin told the Sligo Champion: “I’m really overwhelmed, I hadn’t done that much training,” she laughed. A sprinter by heart, she fearlessly took on the challenge of completely the 60m, 800m, shot put and long jump as she put the rest of the athletes through their paces.
“I normally do the 100m and 60m distances and I’m part of South Sligo AC,” she explained. “I love running and don’t really do any other sports apart from the long jump, I like that as well.
Erin was beaming from ear to ear when grasping the coveted tickets to see Bolt at this summer’s World Championships in London. She gushed: “It’s really cool. I’m a big fan of his, he’s one of my favourite runners,” hesitating slightly when asked if it was mum or dad she was bringing with her.
“I’m definitely going to keep up running, I love it. Both Usain Bolt and Ciara Mageean are my favourite runners. I’m going to meet her later, she’s running next and I want to be like her when I’m older,” a delighted Erin said.
Having world- class athletes such as Mageean and Mark English race on the night in IT Sligo was down to coach Dermot McDermott and his Believe and Achieve team. Last year, Sligo’s Mary Cullen was in a bid to make the qualifying time for Rio and the Drumcliffe woman was back again on Wednesday to support the event in a Run a Mile with Mary section.
There was also Sligo’s Fastest Family in action in a relay and the invite- only event saw former Sligo Rovers player Johnny Kenny from Riverstown and his sons win that comprehensively.
Not only that but the elite section, including Mageean featuring in the Women’s 800m and English in the Men’s 500m, there were graded races and starting the day’s racing were more than 300 children competing in the school relays. After winning her race, 25- year- old Mageean from Co Down spent a long time greeting the young athletes who swarmed around her, eager to get in pictures and autographs from the European medallist. Mageean told the Sligo Champion that it’s events like these that she really loves taking part in. “It’s my first time down racing in Sligo so it’s fantastic. The atmosphere with all the kids around, I absolutely love coming to meets. The children around, they’re able to get into the middle of our sport and feel the real vibes for it. Sometimes it can be a bit regimented whereas this is fantastic seeing the young ones out doing races and then the young ones jumping on the track,” the Co Down
woman added. “It’s the best part of being an athlete for me, seeing youngsters and how they look at you on the track and what a positive role model you can be in their lives.” She was praising Dermot McDermott for his enthusiasm at organising such meets and said she was delighted to come down and support. “Dermot’s energy is unreal. It’s been a fantastic meet and it’s the first time I got down for him because usually I’ve been here there and everywhere.”
It’s been a busy season for the 25- year- old and it’s only going to get busier with the World Championships in London in August. “Racing at home in Belfast and Rome and down here now so it’s busy. The World Championships are the beginning of August so I have a month now to prep and get ready for it. I’ve another few races in between then and now and a bit more training so hopefully bring me further on. They’re in the Olympic Stadium and that will be fantastic,” the European medallist said.
Also among the elite athletes taking part in Sligo City Sports was Donegal’s Mark English, who won the Men’s 500m, with Harry Purcell, Elliot Slade and Niall Tuohy also competing. English, 24, was only fresh from qualifying for the World Championships with a time of 1: 45.42 over 800m at the Stockholm Diamond League.
English will be joining Mageean and fellow Rio Olympian Thomas Barr representing their country at the Championships which are on from August 4- 13th.
The Letterkenny native said he had raced in Sligo before as a teenager, but it had been quite sometime ago.
“I raced here when I was under 11 or under 12, won a medal over 600m so it’s strange being back after like 14 years but it’s good.
“I couldn’t even remember where the track was but the facilities here are excellent.”
Like Mageean, English too is enjoying a hectic season of racing.
“It’s going good I got to the Qualifying standard on Sunday for the World Championships so I just have to make sure I get sharper now and faster which is why I did this today.
“I’ve got a race this weekend and the European Team Championships in Finland and then I’ve got the Diamong League in London so there’s a few more to come yet,” the Donegal man added.
Last summer, English was fifth in the semi- finals of the Men’s 500m and even though it’s been almost a year, they are memories he won’t forget.
“It was really cool. You hear so much about it but when you get out there it’s amazing.
“One of the reasons I came to Sligo was down to Dermot McDermott. He’s doing a lot to promote the sport and I wanted to make sure that I did what I could to help promote athletics in this Province. “He puts on a fantastic meet and that’s evident by the crowds that come down here and watch it. A big thanks to Dermot too for organising the meet,” English added.
AFTER the dust had settled on the IT track following the Sligo City Sports athletics feast on Wednesday evening, it was back to coaching for organiser Dermot McDermott and his Believe and Achieve team.
He said the highlight of the night was definitely Erin Walsh’s achievement of winning the crown of Sligo’s Ultimate Athlete.
“Erin Walsh was the biggest win on the night and everyone was so delighted for her, she did great.
“Her whole family are going over to see Bolt at the World Championships in London.
“The event was really about encouraging young ones to take up running and keep with it and I think we did that.
“Having the likes of Mark English and Ciara Mageean there, top- class names in the world of athletics, was fantastic.
“I was so busy I barely got a chance to speak to them! But I really appreciate all of the athletes who came and took part on the night.”
He said the quality of running in the Women’s Elite 800m, which featured Mageean, and also the Men’s Elite 500m, with English, was excellent.
“The conditions were not the best to set any records, so the times were not great but this was really about being a kids’ spectacle.
“We started with the schools’ relays earlier in the day and they were deadly.
“It was really encouraging seeing so many take part.
“We had Mary Cullen here too and she ran a mile with the kids on the evening and it was great to have Mary because she is such an ambassador for the sport,” Dermot pointed out.
He added that they were slightly disappointed with the crowd but overall the aim was to encourage young people in athletics and that was achieved.
Dermot and his Believe and Achieve team, including Caoimhe Ní Mhurcú put in a lot of work at getting world- class athletes such as Mageean and English to come to Sligo for the event.
Both Mageean and English, who recently qualified for this summer’s World Championships in London in August, were full of praise for the Sligo man’s endeavours at promoting the sport of athletics throughout the Province and the efforts are paying off here in Sligo on the national stage.
MARY CULLEN WAS HERE AND SHE RAN A MILE WITH THE KIDS. IT WAS GREAT TO HAVE MARY BECAUSE SHE IS SUCH AN AMBASSADOR