Mary Fitzgerald

Started: She took up Para athletics at age 10 in 2010. She first tried the sport through the Irish Wheelchair Association [IWA-Sport]. "A friend suggested that I should consider trying out Para athletics. I tried out everything but I particularly liked javelin, shot put, and discus. I fell in love from the start, and I set ambitious goals for my future Paralympic career that day." (image.ie, 16 Oct 2023; Athlete, 14 Nov 2019) Reason: "I was always a very active person, who hated sitting down doing nothing for more than five minutes. I enjoyed playing football, ice skating, horse riding, and ice hockey with Kilkenny City Storm. I've always enjoyed sport. I didn't see the fact that I was a little shorter than my friends as a reason to hold me back." (irishexaminer.com, 09 Apr 2020; enableireland.ie, 06 Jul 2018) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Instagram profile, 19 Jul 2024) Awards: She was named the 2016 Irish Wheelchair Association [IWA-Sport] Junior Athlete of the Year. (iwasport.com, 26 Feb 2017) She received the 2014 Jamie Boyle Memorial Award from IWA-Sport for her services to sport. (IWA-Sport Facebook page, 22 Nov 2014) Additional Info: OCCUPATION She works part-time as a paediatric occupational therapist. (image.ie, 16 Oct 2023) OTHER ACTIVITIES She has served as an ambassador for the Enable Ireland non-profit organisation, which supported her when she was a child. "I first started attending Enable Ireland Kilkenny when I was just a few months old. Even though I had a disability, my parents and I were struck with a can-do attitude from day one. I was able to avail of a wide range of services, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy. My childhood experiences at Enable Ireland very much inspired me to pursue this career [occupational therapy], so that I too could enable and empower individuals to be independent and reach their fullest potential in life." (kilkennypeople.ie, 16 Sep 2023; enableireland.ie, 01 Jan 2023)