'He is now the parish priest of New Inn but to this day I'm in contact with him'

In an interview in this month’s edition of the Irish Runners magazine, Sharlene Mawdley, European champion and an aspiring Olympian from Newport, expresses her gratitude towards an influential figure in her athletic journey.

She is asked "who were your early coaching influences?"

"Father Bobby Fletcher. He was our parish priest at the time, and he was running the athletics club with Anne Fagan.

"He is now the parish priest of New Inn but to this day I'm in contact with him.

"I remember when I started, he used to say to me: 'Shars this competition is going to be red hot' and I used to think that he meant the day was going to be so nice that it was going to be a really warm day.

"Of course, he meant the competition itself was going to be very hard. I used to go to the County B, and I remember I came joint third in an event, but they had to send me my medal in the post.

"I remember waiting by the post-box every day thinking, is it going to come? It all started from there, things moved on and when I was in my third year of school I moved and trained with Harley and Harrison for a few years then I moved onto Gary Ryan in my third year of college."

Each coach contributed their unique expertise and support, further fueling Mawdsley's growth as an athlete.

Father Bobby Fletcher's influence extended far beyond Mawdley's formative years.

His unwavering belief in her abilities and his commitment to nurturing young talent have left an indelible mark on her athletic journey.

As Mawdsley continues to chase her Olympic dreams, she remains grateful for the invaluable guidance and inspiration she receives from Fr Bobby.

Check out the June edition of the Irish Runners magazine to see the full interview.