Women In Sport

Women In Sport

Women in sport , what is the first thing that comes into people’s heads , Well in Ireland it would be the names of Olympic hero Katie Taylor and also the names of some of the Grand Slam winners from 2013. But you also have some fine talent in other sporting fields like Nina Carberry in horse racing , Emma Byrne in football and of course the likes of Mary O Connor and Katrina Parrock in the GAA.

Having interviewed a number of these talented people in the last 18 months , I think it is about time that more of these people get given air time and also that their stories be told. In the last few weeks I have been in contact with Linda Holland from Glengariff  Co Cork , she has blazed a trail in a new sport called LFL down in Australia. It has its origins in American football. She plays with a team based in Perth called The Western Australia Angels. She is the defensive captain with them.

Also Non Evans an ex Welsh International full back with 82 caps and a record 64 tries only matched by Aussie legend David Campese. She has also represented Wales at the Commonwealth games in both Judo and wrestling. She has also appeared in the TV programme Gladiators.

Katie Taylor of course is the golden girl of Irish female sport with her win at London 2012. She has done a lot for her chosen sport campaigning and lobbying for its inclusion at the Olympics. She has won several national and world titles over the last 10 years. Katie has trained on her own and also with the men’s squad ahead of each of her appearances at a major championship. She really is a true role model for all young budding sports stars.

So women do have a role to play in becoming role models for the next generation , so lets hope in the next few years when you ask a youngster who their sporting role model is lets hope that some of these names come up.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

22-02-2014.