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While competitions were in short supply during 2021 to their credit, schools were innovative and went to extraordinary lengths to keep girls and boys active during the periods of remote learning. It was the school’s Coiste Slainte who organised 300k and 500k walk/run challenges over a 15-week period during the pandemic that also involved the local community. The Coiste Sláinte is made up of two pupils from every year group - 12 in total with teachers facilitating various projects. The idea of the Coiste is that the pupils have a voice in promoting wellbeing and health. All participants got a commemorative t-shirt at the end. Gairmscoil Chu Uladh is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It is the first time for this all-Irish speaking establishment to win the Secondary School Award. Aoife Nash and Helen Moore of Gairmscoil Chú Uladh, Béal Átha Móir, Secondary School winners
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Coach-Manager winner is a woman who last summer realised a long time ambition to be part of Team Ireland at an Olympic Games. Teresa McDaid created her own little bit of history as the first woman to fill the role of senior team operations manager for Ireland’s athletes at an Olympics. Last May she managed the Irish Relay Teams at the World Championships in Poland. The 4x400m mixed relay team came third and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics having shaved eight seconds off the previous national record. That team produced an outstanding run at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo to reach the final, smashing the national record by a further four seconds. Teresa was also Team Manager for the Irish Senior Women at the European Cross Country Championship held in Abbottstown in December. Olympic Recognition Award: Teresa got involved in coaching with Letterkenny AC in the mid-1990s. She has been active at national level with Athletics Ireland for over a decade including being Endurance Coaching Coordinator and last summer was Head of Operations with the Irish Olympic Team in Tokyo. Teresa has also been involved with international teams at European and World level. Teresa McDaid, Letterkenny AC, winner of an Olympic Recognition award and Coach/Manager award
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This award went to a 16-year-old girl who has developed a very good habit of breaking records. The winner for the second year in a row is Adrienne Gallen from the Lifford/Strabane Athletic Club. Adrienne Gallen broke the Donegal women’s senior hammer record twice in eight days last year. The St. Columba’s Stranorlar student won a bronze medal in the hammer event at the Franconville U18 meet in Paris in July and went on to set a stunning new Tailteann Games record in September in Santry. That led to Adrienne being named Outstanding Female Athlete at that meeting. Adrienne rounded off another super season by taking silver at the Schools’ International in Derby. She was also named the County Board’s Junior Athlete of the Year for the second year running. Adrienne also sets a Donegal Sports Star record being the first person to win the Youth category two years in a row.Youth Award winner Adrienne Gallen with Grace Boyle
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International Achievement Award: This time it goes to an athlete who produced top performances at national, European and Olympic level last year. Last May Brendan, from Finn Valley AC, finished ninth at the European 50k Race Walking Cup in the Czech Republic. The following month Brendan Boyce finished second in the National 50k Championship in Galway. But undoubtedly the pinnacle of 2021 came on Friday 6th August when Brendan Boyce crossed the line 10th in the Olympic 50k Race Walk in Sapporo. At the end of the year in Raheny the Milford man reached the qualifying standard for this summer’s 35k Race Walking World Athletics Championships. Brendan was also named the Donegal Male Athlete of the Year.Overall Award: For the past decade Milford man Brendan has been competing at the top level in the world in his sport. That has seen him represent Ireland at three Olympic Games as well as World Championships.Competing in his third Olympic Games the Milford man went to Tokyo on a mission to medal. While he came up short on that ambition he gave every ounce of energy in the searing heat in the city of Sapporo to finish tenth in the world in the gruelling 50km Race Walk. It was Brendan’s best performance at an Olympic Games having finished 29th in London 2012 and 19th in Rio in 2016. In Sapporo the 35-year old crossed the line in a time of 3 hours 53 minutes and 40 seconds. It was a remarkable finish from the Bunlin man given that he lost contact with a breakaway group for a period with 15k left in the global final.In December Brendan ended the year on a high in a brand new 35k distance at the national senior championships in Dublin. He achieved the qualifying standard for both the 2022 World and European Championships which take place this summer in Oregon, USA and Munich, Germany respectively.And Brendan got an early Christmas present with the news that he was ranked third in the world in 35k Race Walking. He is winning the Overall Sports Star Award for a second time having previously been honoured in 2019.