The eagerly awaited visit of Paralympics 800 metres Gold Medal Winner Michael McKillop to Downpatrick on Thursday night  as the special guest of East Down Athletic Club certainly didn’t disappoint those who turned up to meet him. Those who couldn’t attend missed the chance of a lifetime, not only to see and hold a genuine Gold Medal, but also to talk to this personable, articulate and dedicated young man. Accompanied by his father Paddy, coach to the highly successful St Malachy’s College AC, where he is also PE teacher, and Kerry Harty, Athletics Development Officer with Athletics Northern Ireland he posed for photographs, signed autographs and answered a range of questions from young and older athletes present.

He was welcomed to Down District by Council Chairman Colin McGrath and congratulated on his winning performance in Beijing where he also set a new world record  of 1.59.39 for the distance.  Councillor McGrath said he hoped Michael’s achievement and visit to Down District would prove inspirational to the up and coming young athletes who met him and he wished him continued success and a repetition of his performance in London 2012.

Michael said that he had set his sights on an Olympic Gold medal when he first decided that athletics was the sport for him and it was this aim that kept him going when training was tough and conditions were poor. He was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the age of two, the main effect of which is a weakness in his right side, reducing the strength and control in his arm and leg, a decided disadvantage in the technique of running.. But in spite of this he attended mainstream education and was good enough to compete at World Schools level with St Malachy’s in 2006 with able bodied fellow pupils and in fact is one of the best Junior athletes overall, competing with and beating his peers in cross country and track races. He described the sound of 91,000 spectators in the “Bird’s Nest” as he powered down the home straight in the final as something he would never forget and the moment of victory as the best of his life. His father underlined the hard work and dedication which it took to get to the pinnacle but that it has paid off handsomely and he encouraged East Down’s youngsters to dream of emulating Michael’s success and anything was possible - if they trained hard.  Michael is now a full time athlete, training every day as he focuses on London 2012 and the chance to double up with Gold in 800 and 1500 metres.

There is no doubt that this  modest and unassuming young man is an exceptional talent who is proving a great ambassador for his sport and has sown the seeds of sporting excellence not only among the youngsters of East Down AC but also those senior members who continue to compete.
WEEKEND RACE

Cross Country races at Dromore usually mean wet, muddy and hilly conditions though the recent dry, frosty weather might have led to this year being different - until Friday restored normality! Perhaps this is why numbers have been falling off in recent years which is a pity as Dromore are one of the best Clubs around and support every other event in large numbers - anyway cross country running is all about mud and losing your shoes in swamps, changing at the back of a hedge and going home for showers!  As a small mercy Saturday’s races were over a modified course which cut out the tortuous zigzag up the hill, leaving it to the bemused grazing sheep, and East Down’s hardy trio of participants took to it like ducks to water - of which there was plenty!

Patrick Sheridan set the standard early on with a start to finish win in the Under 13 Boys race over 1 mile.  He was well clear by the end of the first lap and maintained a good steady pace to the end, in what will be his final outing before the International Races at Greenmount on 3 January.

Aine McCann has been busy with orienteering races in several countries recently and made her first cross country appearance of the season here, having to compete with the Senior ladies in the absence of a suitable age group race.  And what a job she made of it!  She settled in 3rd place for the first of the 3 laps and moved to second at the start of lap 2. Then, obviously benefiting from the strength which orienteering can bring she moved smoothly into the lead and powered to a convincing victory over the talented local girl. A good morale booster ahead of the Greenmount meeting.

At the head of affairs Newcastle’s Eamon McCrickard ran a cagey race for two and a half laps before sprinting away to take the winners prize in fine style while Joe Quinn was exacting some measure of revenge over several of his conquerors in last weekend’s Joe Seeley and picked up first prize money in the Over 60 category - a welcome supplement to his Winter heating allowance!


Joe Quinn

13 December 2008