LAHINCH’s Marie O’Connor was named best female athlete at the European Transplant and Dialysis Games.
The Games concluded in Oxford on Sunday and comprised a week of multi-sport competition amongst solid organ transplant recipients and kidney dialysis patients from over 25 countries across Europe, offering a major opportunity to promote the huge benefits of organ donation and amazing life-saving impact of organ transplantation.
Marie previously participated in the World Transplant Games in Canada 2005, Thailand 2007 and Spain 2017. She has also taken part in the European Transplant and Dialysis Sports Championships in Hungary 2006, Germany 2008, Dublin 2010, Croatia 2012, Poland 2014, Finland 2016 and Italy 2018.
She has had two kidney transplant and received her most recent in 1998.
At the 11th Games, Marie claimed four medals. She began the week by securing gold in the Golf Doubles with Cabinteely’s Mick Dwyer. She followed this the following day with yet another Gold in the Singles Golf event and won her third Gold on Wednesday in the Petanque held at the splendid Blenheim Palace. To top it off, she won silver in the 100m and partook in the ball throw.
For her exploits, Marie was chosen as Best Female Athlete of the Games among the 1000 athletes from 26 countries.
