Women in Sport Week

• Celebrate every women and girl who plays, coaches, officiates, volunteers, works in and leads out on Women in Sport.
• Promote and highlight the ongoing work of Sport Ireland, NGBs, LSPs and other stakeholders and clubs under the topic of Women in Sport.
• Highlight some of the programmes/initiatives funded by Sport Ireland Women in Sport Programme. 
   

There are many fantastic female role models throughout the county of Laois, the county is rich is dedicated sports people and terrific athletes. We interviewed 6 of these fantastic women and shared Q&A’s with them across our social media platforms. The women interviewed were Treacy Percy, Noeleen Condron, Nicole Turner, Aisling Donoher, Kylie Murphy and Della Doherty. The interviews range from recreation sports, disability sports and elite / international athletes. 

• Treacy is extremely passionate and has worked tirelessly to provided oppurtunities for people of all abilities to participate in sport, In particular, those who are visually impaired and blind. As a result, Laois is now the leading county for visually impaired and blind sports i the country. The sports that are now available for VI /Blind participants of all ages include Archey, Athletics, Soccer, Cycling, Wrestling, Swimming, Kayaking and Golf.
• In addition to VI/ Blind sports, Treacy has dedicated a lot of time to Laochra Laois Special Olympics Club which has given athlethes with special needs an oppurtunity to not only participate, but has created a pathway. The club has since represented at International level.
• Treacy, not only wants to support and provide oppurtunities for those with disabilities, but also wishes to educate people in relation to disabilites. Treacy and her husband George, set up Disability Consultancy Services, who provide training on disability awareness. In their disability awareness training the topics covered include; the meaning of a Disability, Autism Awareness, Hearing Disabilities, Epilepsy and more
• In this Q&A Treacy gives discusses:
  • Her sporting heros
  • Why physical activity is so important
  • What gives her the motivation to be active
• Treacy is a true sporting hero, her commitment to helping others is second to none, she is extremely passionate about sport and providing oppurtunites for others to participate in sport and we have very proud to hve her in County Laois. 

• Noeleen having only started running in 2016 has since completed a Dublin City Marathon and is approaching her 250th parkrun in the coming weeks.
• Noeleen’s is a long serving and proud member of St. Abbans Athletics Club in County Laois. Her involvement began in in the club when she was encouraged to help out while her sons were members as children. Since then Noeleen has been a key figure in the club and was involved in the setting up of the clubs Fit For Life Programme.
• Noeleen is currently completing 5km per day for lent, her commitment to this challenge is so much that she recently completed 10km in one day as the first 5km was not recorded on her fitness app. The parkrun every Saturday in Vicarstown is a very special to Noeleen, she is a keen volunteer for the event and believes its impact is very import for people. Both the physical and mental health benefits from physical activity along with the very friendly social element make the parkrun a great experience for all involved.
• Noeleen is a great example to everyone, of all ages and levels of fitness. She explains that consistency is the key and we should all make some time for ourselves to be active! 

• Nicole is an Irish Paralympic swimmer from Laois and has an inspiring story, from joining her brothers in lessons at the local swim club to winning a silver medal at the Paralympics while competing against one of her childhood sporting hero’s.
• Nicole, who recently claimed a silver medal at the Para Swimming World Series in Melbourne is also full time sports management student.
• In this Q&A, Nicole spoke to us about:
  • Her Sporting Hero
  • Her Introduction to Sport
  • What Motivates Her
  • How She Balances Being College with Being a Full Time Athlete
  • Her Advice For Being Active
• Nicole’s sporting journey is an example of what is possible with the right support, dedication and belief in yourself.
• We thank Nicole for taking the time out of her busy schedule to speak to us. All at Laois Sports Partnership wish you the very best in your studies and upcoming training 

• Aisling who plays Gaelic Football for Timahoe Ladies has enjoyed a long career with the Laois Ladies Football team spanning over a 15 year period. Ailing’s most recent success with Laois was their All Ireland Win in 2022.
• Aisling’s consistency and longevity is to be admired. Aisling is an excellent example for all athletes, having a family, a full time job and playing intercounty football is no easy task but Aisling made it work. While she admits it is difficult at times, Aisling stated it is so worth it.
• While speaking to Aisling we discussed who was her sporting hero and why? What motivates her? How she balances family, work and sport and more.
• Aisling is a strong character and told us that being resilient is her most important trait both in sport and all aspects of life. Life will be tough and there will be testing times but it is all about how you respond.
• Thank you Aisling for taking the time to speak to us. Aisling is a fantastic role model for us all and particularly for young girls and women in sport.  

• Kylie, a native of Graiguecullen, started her footballing career with St. Patricks Boys, playing with the boys as there was no girls team. In her youth, Kylie played numerous sports including Minor Ladies Football for Laois.
• Kylie had taken a break away from sports for 2 years before returning in 2011 to join Wexford Youths in the inaugural season of the Women’s National League. Immediately, Kylie was appointed club captain and has been ever since.
• During her time at Wexford, Kylie has picked up many individual and team awards such as:
  • 250 National League appearances
  • 100 goals
  • 4 WNL Titles
  • 4 FAI Women’s Cups
  • 4 Team of the years
  • 4 UEFA Women’s Champions League Campaigns
  • In 2021, Kylie was also voted the Women’s player of the year and the soccer writers of Irelands, first ever Women’s Personality of the Year.
• While Kylies motivation mainly stems from her love of the game, she acknowledges the benefits of physical activity and the positive outcomes, both physically and mentally.
• During her career, Kylie reaped the rewards of hard work and dedication. She saw what was possible with hard work and those rewards such as titles are what drives her on year after year in search of more.
• While Kylie is a highly talented footballer, it’s her relentlessness and winning mentality that separates her from the rest.
• Kylie is a fantastic role model for us all and in particular all the young female footballers in Laois  

• Della already so early in her career has had so much experience. Della’s introduction to football was at the age of 4 when she would attend the soccer tots every weekend. She later joined her local club Arlington Football Club.
• Della appeared to be a talent from a young age, following a shield win at the Gaynor Cup she was introduced to the Ireland Women’s Under 15 squad. She was made captain for her national team and remained so during her underage international career through U15, U16, U17 & U19.
• Della’s introduction to Senior Women’s Football was with Peamount F.C. in Dublin before making a move to Wexford Youths F.C.
• Unfortunately Della suffered an injury at the end of last season putting her out for a lengthy period, potentially missing the entire 2023 campaign. Within this Q&A Della discusses how she approaches a different type of athlete this year, focusing on recovery and aiming to return back stronger. Along with this, Della discusses her sporting hero, what motivates her, how she balances the demands of an elite sport, commuting and studying.
• Della has a fantastic mentality and shows excellent maturity. Her professionalism and positive approach particularly during a difficult time for her, if something to be admired and a fantastic example for any young athlete.
• Without a doubt, Della has a bright career ahead of her. All at Laois Sports Partnership wish Della well in her recovery and we look forward to seeing you back on the pitch soon.