The Raheny Shamrock sprinter, Orla Comerford, has set her sights on delivering her best performance yet at the upcoming Paralympics in Paris. Her place on the Irish team has been confirmed following her breakthrough 100-metre run, breaking the 12-second barrier for the first time.
Among the five athletes to represent Ireland in Paris, Comerford has already distinguished herself in previous games in Rio and Tokyo. Other members of the team include three-time participant Greta Streimikyte, Mary Fitzgerald and rookies Shauna Bocquet and Aaron Shorten.
During the Irish Nationals 100-metre finals at Morton Stadium, where she raced alongside Rhasidat Adeleke and Sarah Lavin, Comerford posted her fastest time yet – 11.90 seconds. The result took time to reach her as eager young fans swarmed the track for autographs soon after the race.
Comerford, who battles with Stargardt’s disease – a degenerative eye condition – reminisced on the excitement of hearing her time and the relief of breaking the 12-second mark. She equates her breakthrough to ‘opening the gates’ and looks forward to striving for even faster times. Her coach likens this potential to ‘opening a pack of Pringles’ – once it starts, there’s no turning back.
The Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 proved challenging for Comerford, as she lost her coach Brian Corcoran. The graduate of National College of Art and Design, presently working at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, mourns the loss, missing the last opportunity to see him before heading to Japan.
Connie and Brian’s family still maintain close contact with her. During the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic held in Eugene, Oregon last May, she was caught by surprise hearing her club’s name being loudly cheered from the crowd.
An old acquaintance of Connie’s, who was once a running mate of Brian’s and currently residing in that region, received a call from her. She instructed him to secure tickets to the Diamond League as an athlete from Raheny club, a protege of Brian, would be participating.
While she was running around the athletic track, a loud cheer of ‘Raheny’ made her approach the spectator and to her delight, she found him there in the crowd. Meeting him was a special moment, highly reminiscent of Brian as if he were there, guiding her from the sidelines every time she’s out on the field.
After successfully overcoming her previously ailment of problematic feet and hamstring, Comerford is now all geared up to register her most impressive performance at the upcoming Paralympic Games.
The desire to just make it to the final or merely being a part of the team are feats she acknowledges as being great while she was starting. However, with her evolved perspective and current form, she is adamantly focused on vying for a podium finish. She aims to be a key player in the competition.