Fiona Everard races to award after terrific season

BY JOHN WALSHE

AFTER a brilliant cross-country season which included winning a national novice title, Fiona Everard has transferred that form to the track.

The Bandon AC runner has been honoured with the Cork City Sports Athletics Person of the Month Award for April after a comprehensive 5000m win at the Irish Universities Championships.

Representing University of Galway and in only her second-ever 5000m on the track, she recorded a time of 17:11.04 at the new DSD facility in Dublin.

The previous month, Everard had won the IUAA cross-country at Limerick and this followed on from a number of pre-Christmas performances over the country. These included the coveted novice title and along with a second in the Cork senior championships.

The Enniskeane native travelled from Galway to the River Lee Hotel for the ceremony, and naturally she was thrilled to be so honoured.

‘It’s my first time winning the award,’ said Fiona, who was accompanied by her parents, Martin and Denise, and her brother Brian, who plays hurling for his local St Mary’s club.

‘I’m delighted to get it, I’m a bit surprised but it’s a nice award to get.

‘The university cross-country title was the one we made our goal back in October, so to win that and then the 5000m on the track as well was nice also for the college as they have done a lot for me.’

Her university title was followed by a personal best of 9:29.29 over 3000m at Belfast on May 14th and recently another PB of 4:36.71 for the 1500m distance was achieved at the IFAM meet in Oordegem, Belgium.

It all started for the 24-year-old at national school, when she was first introduced to the sport of athletics at the age of seven or eight by the late Catherine Duggan from Bandon AC.

‘Catherine had a huge impact on me,’ Fiona says, ‘and really got me interested and gave me a love of running. I then kept it up when I went to MICC in Dunmanway, where I won a Munster Schools’ cross-country and finished third in the All-Irelands.’

A frustrating period of bone fractures injuries then followed. It wasn’t until last autumn that Everard finally put that period truly behind her when finishing second to Sinéad O’Connor at the Cork senior championship in what was her first cross-country race in two years.

Crediting Ronan Duggan in Bandon for her earlier success, Everard is now coached in Galway by Matt Lockett, who is also the Athletics Ireland national endurance co-ordinator.

‘I think the one thing that Matt has really taught me is to control my training and not to do every session too hard,’ Fiona says.

‘My biggest mistake was going into sessions thinking everything had to be done really hard. Then I’d break down with injury and I’d be rushing to get back and end up with another injury.

‘My hard sessions are now more spread out and I suppose it’s been more open to adapting training that has made the difference.’

An example and inspiration to any young athlete who may find the transition from under-age success to senior level a difficult one, especially considering her own two years of recurring injuries, Fiona has this advice to offer: ‘The one thing I knew was that I loved running, despite the injuries and everything.

‘It’s also having good people around you; my family were also really great to keep me going. When you’re not racing you can’t really see the good side but if you stick with it, it will eventually work out.’