Michaela is top irish athlete

MICHAELA Walsh, Swinford AC, scooped top honours at the National Juvenile 2014 Athletics Star Awards ceremony held in the Tullamore Court Hotel, taking three awards.

Michaela's first award was the county star athlete award, which she received for the third consecutive year. She was also presented with the Robin Sykes Perpetual Cup for her outstanding performances in 2014, and there was great excitement among family, friends, coaches and members of Swinford AC when she received the award of the night, the overall Irish juvenile athlete of 2014, from Ciarain O'Cathain, president of Athletics Ireland, Ailis McSweeney, former Irish champion sprinter, and Jim Ryan, chairman, Athletics Ireland juvenile committee.

 

Last year saw Michaela win eight national titles, set six national records in hammer, shot and javelin, and was also named female athlete at the Tailteann Games.

 

Internationally, Michaela kicked off her year with a gold medal performance at the English championships and she won two golds and set two records at the schools internationals in Cardiff.

 

Following her excellent performance at the European Youth Olympics in Azerbaijan, Michaela was successfully selected to represent Europe at the World Youth Olympics in China, where she came sixth in the world, two years out of age.

 

Already this year, Michaela has won gold at the national junior indoor championships and gold at the Scottish indoor championships in shot putt, in Glasgow, where she achieved the qualification standard for the World Youths Championships in Colombia next July.