Olympic athlete and track specialist, Kerry O’Flaherty pays a special visit to St Malachy’s Primary School Castlewellan.
One of Ireland’s best track and field athletes, Kerry O’Flaherty, who competed in the Rio Olympics 2016, visited St Malachy’s Primary School, in Castlewellan, to deliver one of her ‘Inspire’ series of events, supported by local businesses, McGrady Financial Services.
The pupils had a chance to hear about Kerry’s sporting journey, how her love of track and field at school lead to her participation at the 2016 Olympics, and the additional skills that Kerry’s sporting achievements have helped her to develop along the way. There was an opportunity for autographs, and a question and answer session with both staff and students before Kerry delivered a fun fitness session for the eager pupils.
O’Flaherty, who competed in the steeplechase at last year’s Rio Olympics, is only one of a few Northern Irish track and field athletes to compete at an Olympic Games.
Kerry comments: “It was fantastic coming here to speak to the students, and to share my experiences and Olympic journey. There are so many lessons for young people to learn from the world of sport, for myself, in addition to the incredible events that I’ve experienced, I’ve grown more confident as a person. It’s extremely rewarding to be able to share my experiences with others, in the hope that it will help to inspire the students to overcome their fears of trying out new activities and to work hard to achieve your dreams.
“From the lead up to the games and since coming home from Rio, the support from the local community has been overwhelming, and so the Inspire Series of events, that are supported by McGrady Financial Services, is the perfect platform for me to give back to others.”
To compete at the highest level, Kerry trains all year round, and private sponsorship is crucial in helping Kerry and other athletes embark on specialist training to ensure they’re in peak condition for events. Two local companies, M.B. McGrady & Co Chartered Accountants and McGrady Financial Services, have been huge supporters of Kerry since she launched her Olympic campaign and it is through their support that Kerry is in a position to deliver the Inspire Series of events for local schools.
McGrady Financial Services is situated on St. Patrick’s Avenue in Downpatrick. For further information on Kerry O’Flaherty, please see www.runkerryrun.com.
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