8 Cork transplant athletes win 26 medals in Europe
Cork athletes have bagged a whopping 26 trophies between them at the European Transplant Sports Championships.
Eight Cork athletes overall travelled with Team Ireland to the games which took place in Lisbon, Portugal.
Team Ireland, with 25 athletes overall, returned home with a staggering 65 medals, consisting of 28 gold, 21 silver, and 7 bronze.
The eight Cork athletes were Mike Keohane (liver recipient, Rosscarbery); Mick O’Shea (heart recipient, Mallow); Mairéad O’Mahony (bone marrow recipient, Berrings); and Amanda O’Neill Coyne, Michael Kiely, Pat O’Sullivan, and Hugh Nolan (kidney recipients from Youghal, Mitchelstown, Mallow, and Doneraile respectively). Rob Merrigan (living donor kidney recipient, living in Watergrasshill) represented Cork and Limerick.
Mairéad O’Mahony from Berrings, was diagnosed with leukaemia 27 years ago, secured five gold medals overall. After taking gold in the javelin, gold in the shot put, and gold in the 1500m within three hours, she described the whole experience as “mind-blowing”. Mairéad then went on to win gold in the 800m and in her category in the 5km mini marathon.
Mick O’Shea from Mallow scooped six medals including gold in the 200m and in the 100m with a personal-best time. He took two silvers for cycling events, saying afterwards: “Organ donation was the real winner today”. Mr O’Shea also took home a silver medal in the 1500m, and this, along with his cycling success, combined to get him silver in the virtual duathlon.
Amanda O’Neill Coyne from Youghal started her week by winning gold in the 5K minimarathon which she walked in memory of her late father. She then scooped silver in the singles golf and finished off her week in style by wining gold in the doubles pétanque with her partner Marie O Connor from Clare.
Mike Keohane from Rosscarbery won Silver in his shot put throw of over 10 metres. He followed that up with silver in the 5K racewalk, his favourite event, and bronze in the triples darts with partners Marie O Connor from Clare and Tom O Reilly from Dublin.
Golfer Hugh Nolan from Doneraile won silver in the singles golf and gold in the team golf with partner Pat O’Sullivan from Mallow. Pat also took gold in the singles and bronze in the 100 metre sprint. Mike Kiely from Mitchelstown and Robert Merrigan won two silver medals in the golf singles and team event.
With the 2024 European Transplant Sports Championships now over, athletes will be turning their attention to training for the World Championships in Dresden during August 2025.