Monica celebrates her Paralympic win 40 years on
A former Paralympian from Cork city grabbed her silver medal and gathered with her fellow residents in her nursing home to watch the 2024 Paralympics recently.
40 years after then-US president Ronald Reagan presented Monica O’Kelly with her Paralympic medal, staff at the HSE-run Farranlea Community Nursing Home hosted a green, white and gold-themed garden party for all 80 residents to coincide with the start of the 2024 Paralympics, which has 4,400 athletes competing in 549 medal events, across 22 sports.
In 1984, Monica O’Kelly celebrated her 21st birthday by winning a silver medal for swimming and three bronze medals for shot putt, club throw and slalom at the Paralympics in New York. The following year, she won two gold medals for swimming at the European Championships in Vienna and competed internationally for eight years in total.
Monica, who has been a resident at the nursing home since 2013, said: “Coming from home to here was nerve-wracking, a huge change, but I found ways to settle. I get a lovely breakfast every day and I feel a lot better now. The staff are very good to me. My family is very supportive as well.”
Monica grew up on the Old Blackrock Road and started representing Ireland young. “I loved horse-riding and when I was nine, I was picked to go to Amsterdam and ride in front of the Irish ambassador to The Netherlands,” she recalled.
In the summer of 1983, Monica was invited by Cerebral Palsy Ireland to train at the Sandymount Clinic.
“I travelled by bus every weekend and slept in a sleeping bag on the floor in order to train and reach Paralympic standards,” she said.
When Monica was chosen for the Irish Paralympic team, her family rallied to fundraise for her and others to make the trip, organising a bike ride from Shannon to Cork. Local sponsorship and support also came from local businesses and sports clubs.
She said: “My mother and aunt came with me to New York and I spent three weeks there. The athletes got up every day at 5.30am and trained until 4pm; the only breaks were to eat. It was tough but then Ronald Reagan opened the Games and it was brilliant experience. I am looking forward to this year’s Paralympics in Paris. I did watch the Olympics and was very happy with the swimmers who won medals for Ireland, Mona McSharry and Daniel Wiffen. Who is my favourite? Oh the man Daniel!” she laughed.
Monica’s brother David O’Kelly said: “Monica was one of the first residents of the Cedar Unit at Farranlea in 2013 and we are so grateful to the team who care for her multiple needs so well. They are absolutely fantastic with her, so professional, and there's great communication between us and the care team. She's very lucky and this party was a great celebration.”
Another of Monica's brothers, Vincent O’Kelly, said: “I was always her sidekick as we are the two youngest and I remember well travelling every week to training camps and sleeping on the floor! We are always very proud of her and her achievements.”
Clinical Nurse Manager, Mini David, said Monica loves life. “Monica is so famous, such an inspirational lady! She just loves her family and social life; putting on her make-up and going out with her brothers for a sneaky KFC. She's such an intelligent lady, always doing quizzes and she loves Elvis.”