A great day was had by Transplant Team Ireland in Kilcullen Sunday morning.
With athletes and supporters present, James Nolan (of the infamous and much loved Nolans Butchers) welcomed all to his native Kilcullen and revealed the new Team Kit! And what a super Team Kit.
Harry Ward – Team Captain - also fondly remembered members of Transplant Team Ireland who have passed away since the last Games and family members were present to accept a Team Jersey in honour of their loved ones. They were told that this was a loss for the whole 'transplant family' and it was poignantly noted that they were to be 'honorary team members' in Oxford.
Following that, the guest speaker Michael Carruth spoke to the assembled group and relived his journey to Olympic Glory! It was inspirational to hear him speak of his passion, drive and unrelenting ambition to win the Olympic medal.... the anniversary of which is 8th August coincidentally. His advice included 'don't give up' after failure, or when everything seems to be against you and repeated Don't believe naysayers who tell you that you can't achieve what you want....wise words indeed for all of us! He then presented each athlete with their Team Top and wished them every success in their endeavours. He also spoke of his encounter with George Foreman at his first Olympics when things didn’t go so well!
But what is really astonishing is that Carruth actually fought his 1992 Olympic final with two broken hands - defeating Cuban boxer Juan Hernandez Sierra and taking home Ireland's first gold medal since that won by runner Ronnie Delaney at the 1956 Games in Melbourne. It was a personal, intimate account of his challenges to the final and one that each athlete present could relate to - the need to believe in yourself, the necessity of good support around you and the driving passion to succeed.
Thanks to Michael Carruth for sharing his journey to Olympic Gold and providing advice as we look towards Oxford. A special thanks to James, Emma and Andrew James Nolan for organising everything today. It was great to catch up with everyone and remember those who we lost over the last few years.
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