Olympian Sharlene Mawdsley graciously accepts Tipperary Person of the Year Award for 2024
Tipperary Association Dublin
The President of the Tipperary Association Dublin Tom Sherlock presented the Person of the Year for 2024 to
international Olympian athlete, Sharlene Mawdsley of Newport.
Mr. Sherlock congratulated the awardees and read the award citations as part of the
proceedings at a function at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in Dublin on Saturday.
Tipperary Person of the Year Citation – Sharlene Mawdsley
Sharlene is a young athlete, born in Newport, Co. Tipperary who has graduated from competing
as a young girl at 100 and 200 meters events in local competitions, to now competing and
winning 400 meters events at the highest level worldwide. She is a shining example to young
people, particularly young girls, of what they can aspire to achieve if they decide to engage in
sport and are committed to succeeding at their chosen level.
In researching for this citation, I came across this quotation attributed to Sharlene. “I think sport
brings a huge sense of purpose and for me, it supports me with like-minded people. Being able
to connect with people through sport is such an amazing thing” What a profound statement. But
then Sharlene is not just a pretty face and a world class athlete. She is also a Sociology graduate
from Limerick University.
Sharlene’s selection as Tipperary Association Dublin Person of the Year for 2024 reflects her
astonishing success at the highest levels of athletics this year. She has represented Ireland at the
highest level for a number of years and has been consistently highly placed. But it was
especially this year that Sharlene’s talent really blossomed, and the list of her achievements is
truly amazing.
Just imagine winning a Bronze medal in the World Mixed 4 x 400 meters Relay, Silver in the
European Women’s 4 x 400 Relay and Gold in the European Mixed 4 x 400 Relay. All of that
was achieved in the space of a few months this year.
Who will ever forget that epic run in the Olympics 4x400 Women’s Relay, when the Irish team
anchored by Sharlene missed out on the Bronze Medal by a stride and set a new National
Record for the event in the process? If that was not enough Sharlene rounded off her season
winning the Gold Individual Medal in the Gala dei Castelli meet in Switzerland, which is very
highly rated in World Athletics Continental Tour meetings.
All of these successes were celebrated throughout the Country, especially in Tipperary and
nowhere more than in her native Newport. The exploits of Sharlene and the team in the
Olympics raised the spirits of the entire country and for Tipperary people like ourselves was
truly special when opportunities to celebrate sporting success at the highest level have been
limited.
Sharlene is much more than a world-class athlete. She is also a class act as a human being,
seemingly completely unaffected by her fame and success. She has shown the courage of a lion
in anchoring the Women's and Mixed Relay Teams. This allied with her dedication,
commitment, and determination to work her way to the top makes her an amazing role model
for aspiring young athletes.
Sharlene is a most worthy of the title “Tipperary Person of the Year 2024”.
The award was sponsored by Louis Fitzgerald of the Fitzgerald Group.