Lady Mary Peters: Gold medal success of Northern Ireland athletes has created ‘role models for the future’

The gold medal rush experienced by athletes from Northern Ireland has created “role models for the future of our sports”, Lady Mary Peters has said.

Fifty-two years after she struck gold in the 1972 Munich Olympics, Lady Mary has spoke of her hope that the success this week of the north’s athletes in Paris will inspire more young people to follow in their footsteps.

Her comments come after swimmers Daniel Wiffen from Magheralin and Jack McMillan from Bangor as well as rower Hannah Scott won gold at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

Banbridge rower Philip Doyle and rower Rebecca Shorten from Belfast have also made it to the winners podium this week.

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Speaking to The Irish News on Friday from the Stade de France in Paris on the first day of the track and field competitions, Lady Mary said it had been an “absolutely fantastic” start to the Olympics for athletes representing Team GB and Team Ireland.

“It has been so good as they are the role models for the future of our sports, of all the sports,” she said.

“I hope that young people will be watching and will be inspired by all the good performances.

“We set off well with three golds in the first 24 hours, which was great and then Philip Doyle and Rebecca Shorten got their medals too.

“I hope there are more with Rhys McClenaghan and Michaela Walsh, who I adore, I think she will do us proud.

“And we’ve got Ciara Mageean and and Kate O’Connor, so many more opportunities. When you get medals early on, it inspires the rest of the team.”

Lady Mary said the success experienced by the north’s athletes “brings back memories” of her own gold medal pentathlon win.

“It is nice to be here and people recognising me and applauding my success all those years ago,” she said.

“I’m still celebrating mine 52 years on, I keep thinking about them and the future they will have and what they will be able to give back to sport by their success.

“They won’t know until they actually arrive at the airport how much the people of Northern Ireland have been applauding them because you are in a different country with a different language.

“They will have immediate contact from the friends and family, but not from the whole community, it will take a while for it to sink in how much they are being honoured for their success.”

Lady Mary said her trust had supported a number of Olympians from Northern Ireland, including Hannah Scott.

“There are 27 athletes that have been supported by us and we can only support them until they get to a level where they can get lottery funding,” she said.

“But there’s no support for them below that, so we are delighted to be able to help them progress their talent to the level that they will get better funding and sponsorship.”

With hopes high for more medal success in the coming days, Lady Mary added: “It makes me proud to be from Northern Ireland, I wouldn’t want to represent anywhere else”.