RUNNERS JOIN OLYMPIC HERO

Published 24 Jun 2010 09:00 0 Comments

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TRACK legend Sonia O'Sullivan was the star guest at Helensburgh Amateur Athletics Club on Thursday (June 17).

The Irish athlete is one of the decade's most successful distance runners in the world having won a silver medal at the Sydney Olympics and countless world and European successes.

The 40-year-old was the special guest at the club's first celebrity seminar and training session.

And more than 130 club members, athletes, athletics fans, school pupils, staff and parents, gathered to meet Sonia at Lomond School's new games hall.

The evening began with Sonia leading two dozen young athletes on a group run.

All who completed the session were rewarded with commemorative pin badges and signed posters.

It was then the seniors' turn as about 30 runners accompanied Sonia on a circuit through Duchess Woods and across the Highlandman's Way, to Hill House.

After the running was completed, Sonia began her presentation with a video of her career highlights, to remind younger members of the audience of what she has achieved - including three world championship golds, three European gold medals and an Olympic silver.

The highlights closed with Sonia trailing in dead last in the Athens Olympics, debilitated by food poisoning but to rapturous applause from the Irish fans in the stadium.

Sonia delivered a very personal insight into the life of a world class athlete, the highs and lows, triumphs and tribulations, interspersed with video clips of her races, to illustrate a particular point and a basketful of amusing anecdotes. She ended the evening by giving away bags of Olympic and Nike kit to members of the audience who asked the most interesting questions.

Erica Cromar, Annie Carroll and McKenzie Serpell went away the lucky winners. Lindsay Dunn, a famous coach, from Gateshead, who advised Brendan Foster and Charlie Spedding to Olympic medals, provided some insight to allow the HAAC club runners to use some of the principles used by the stars.

The event, supported by Scottish Athletics, Jog Scotland, Run 4 It and Dunbartonshire AAA, was judged to be a huge success by the audience.

This article appeared in Helensburgh Advertiser 24 Jun 10

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