Strabane Athlete To Captain Ireland Girls

A STRABANE teenager will have the honour of captaining the Ireland school squad at this year’s International Track and Field Meet. The event sees young athletes from all over the globe congregate to compete in their different disciplines.

Ellie McCurdy, aged 16, from Strabane/Lifford Athletics Club has been chosen to captain the girl’s squad at the meet, due to take place at the Mary Peters’s Track in Belfast later this month.

Javelin thrower Ellie has been an integral part of the local athletics scene since 2017. She has attained many accolades in her short career including a silver medal at last year’s Ulster Senior Championships where Ellie threw a personal best of 36.77m, taking bronze in the Intermediate Girls Javelin at the Irish Schools Finals, and gold in the recent Ulster Juvenile Championships.

Proud mum Maddy explained, “Ellie is doing wonderfully in her career and all the family are so proud of her. It hasn’t taken long for Ellie to progress in the javelin, beginning with the turbo javelin but she was soon using a 500g and quickly progressing onto 600g, which shows how far she has come, winning medals and breaking records all over the place, representing her school and Ireland. You could say that the javelin called to her, so much so that she gave up playing for Sion Swifts to concentrate on the javelin. Her dad Mickey also competes in sport as a skeet shooter, and he put his career on hold for Ellie.

“Ellie regularly competes against athletes around her own age and older, which is positive competition for her, competing against the best in her age group and more, and Ellie frequently excels. Ellie has taken part in seven competitions alone in June, which just goes to show her commitment to athletics.

“It’s a lot of travelling and training, which she does three days a week, but it’s totally worth it.

“I follow Ellie wherever she has to compete and I always will. I and her dad Mickey will do whatever we can to help Ellie in her career. It’s difficult yes, and I am hoping to secure sponsorship for Ellie as her career goes on, but you do the best for your kids.”

Ellie found out she would be captain of the Ireland squad in the back seat of the family car last Tuesday, after a text from a fellow athlete and she was ‘over the moon’ to hear the brilliant news.

Maddy added, “Ellie is a very humble, down-to-earth girl and was delighted to be given the news she will captain Ireland at the meet. The whole family will be cheering her on.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been instrumental in helping Ellie get where she is, including former Holy Cross principal Clare Bradley, Isabelle McNulty, Brian Gormley and her coach Damien Crawford, who helps nurture her talent.”

Going forward, Ellie wants to take her athletics career as far as she can, with the obvious goal being the Olympics.

Ellie would love to follow in the footsteps of her idol – Irish athlete Kate O’Connor – who will be completing in the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

The International Meet will take place next weekend at the Mary Peters’s Track in Belfast.