Dundalk's Kate O'Connor received a hero's welcome in her home town
'Work hard, dream big and enjoy it' Kate O'Connor tells young people at her homecoming in Dundalk
Dundalk's Kate O'Connor received a hero's welcome when she arrived back in her home town yesterday evening.
A large crowd gathered at the World Heptathlon silver medallist's old school, St Vincent's secondary school, to give the local sporting legend a rapturous welcome home.
As the 24-year-old arrived into the school hall to the sound of the Dundalk Brass Band the crowd erupted into a loud cheer.
Excited children from athletics clubs, including Kate's club St Gerard's, and pupils excitedly waved Irish flags and high-fived their hero as she made her way to the stage.
Kate with her coach and dad Michael, her mother Valarie and grandma Madeline. Photo: Arthur Kinahan
St Gerard's PRO Paul Martin held a Q & A with Kate, her father and coach Michael, Chairman of St Gerard's AC Paul Cheshire and Deputy President of Athletics Ireland Fintan Reilly.
Kate, speaking about arriving home after securing a stunning silver medal for Ireland in the women’s heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, told the crowd: “ I feel so lucky and loved arriving at Dublin Airport and seeing everyone's face there to welcome me back.
“And obviously the welcome here in Dundalk is amazing. I would like to thank everyone who has made the effort to come out and see me.
“When you are away, and you are so far away from home, you don't maybe realise the impact of what you have done at home.
“In Japan I could see through the internet and from messages how excited people were but to actually be here in person and witness so many people smiling up at me who are so interested in this thing I have won is amazing, it is just so nice.”
Kate spoke about being one of three Irish women to have won world athletics medals, along with Sonia O'Sullivan and Derval O'Rourke, saying: “These are women, who when I was younger were my idols growing up and still are.
"I get nervous speaking to them in real life and now I am in the same sentence as them.”
She also admitted she felt more pressure competing in the World Championships saying: “I think in this competition I felt a little more pressure on my shoulders than ever before as there was a bit more expectation from other people as well as myself obviously.”
Athletes from Glenmore AC who presented flowers to Kate. Pic: Arthur Kinahan
Mr Martin told Kate the whole club, town and country were “enormously proud” of her phenomenal achievement and asked her what advice she would give young people.
She replied: “One of the biggest things is if you have a dream, keep dreaming.
“You never achieve anything without working very, very hard. All the girls I was competing against in Japan all worked very hard to be there.
“Some people have asked me how it felt standing on the podium. That Sunday morning standing on that podium I felt like I belonged because I had worked so hard, and I knew I had worked so hard to win this medal and that I felt I deserved to be standing there.
“My advice to kids is work really hard for something so that you know you can achieve it because you put the work in.
“You will get out what you put in. Work hard, dream big and enjoy it.”
Kate's father and coach Michael told the gathered well-wishers she was meant to stay in Japan longer but had decided to come home to get the knee injury she sustained medically assessed.
He also emphasised the importance of investing in resources and coaches.
Kate, over two days of competition, fought through injury and world-class opposition to capture a World Championship silver in the women's heptathlon to becoming the first Irish athlete to secure a global outdoor medal in the multi-events.
She set an incredible five personal bests in seven events to earn a national record of 6,714 points and shatter her own previous best to move into the top tier of world athletics.