Sports Personalities Honored

On 23.2.06 President Peter Irwin presented local sports personalities Eva Massey and Andrew White with Donaghadee Rotary Clubs Achievement in Sports awards. Both the recipients then addressed the assembled club members and outlined their careers thus far. Andrew explained that he had played cricket from an early age and after leaving school played senior cricket. In 2000 he played for Ireland and in 2002 played in South Africa. In 2004 he played against the West Indies. In 2005 he was a member of the Ireland team that qualified for the World Cricket Cup in March 2007.

He continued by saying that he has played professional cricket with Northhants since 2004 and as a squad member must perform well every week to maintain his place on the team. He has been capped 25 times for Ireland.

Eva informed the members that she had been involved in athletics since she was 12/13 years of age. She has been selected twice for the Commonwealth Games competing in the shot putt. Her first games were in Manchester where unfortunately she had to compete with a broken wrist. After a number of operations her wrist is now back to normal.  

Eva pointed out that her sport is combination of Science Sweat and Sobbing.

The science refers to position technique etc. The sweat to training twice a day six days a week alone in her garage at home. She also travels to London once a week for coaching. The sobbing referred to her disappointments.  

Eva hopes to be at her peak for the London Olympics in 2012. She quoted an inscription above her door at the Athens Olympic village it read “Destiny is not a matter of chance but choice.”

Past President Les Jones thanked the two speakers and said that it was nice to hear from two young local people at the top of their sport. He continued by saying that it would be good to hear from them in a few years time to find out how well they had succeeded.

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