Throughout the present Paralympic and World Championship year, there were instances where Katie-George Dunlevy and her cycling partner, Linda Kelly, questioned whether destiny was playing against them. This feeling was due to the plethora of health setbacks they endured, which made their dreams of Paris and Zurich seem increasingly farfetched.
In the early days of May, their journey met with turbulence as they suffered from an accident during a World Cup race in Belgium. Dunlevy escaped with severe bruising and a hand injury, whereas Kelly was concussed. This injury sent Kelly to the sidelines for a while.
When Eve McCrystal stepped up to steer Dunlevy in another race in Italy ten days post the accident, they crashed again. However, with Paralympic qualifying points on the line, they dusted themselves off, remounted their bike and claimed a fourth position finish. Dunlevy, despite bearing immense physical discomfort, only discovered her collarbone was broken after an X-Ray.
She recalls lying on her hospital bed in Italy, constantly reassuring herself that she would make it to Paris. For her, it was merely a broken collarbone that would eventually heal.
Following her return to Dublin, she underwent surgery and was back cycling within a week, though only with one arm. As she puts it, “Up and at it.” This determination is why she’s Ireland’s most decorated Paralympic athlete.
The challenges didn’t end there. Over the course of the year, Dunlevy and Kelly encountered five crashes – the last by Dunlevy was recalled from 2016. Kelly contracted Covid twice and also dealt with a leg infection. Likewise, Dunlevy battled an arm infection and contracted a virus prior to the Paralympics, confining her to bed in the athletes’ village for three days. Moreover, just before the World Championships, she tested positive for Covid.
Aside from her triumphant September, where she secured a Paralympic gold alongside Linda, Paralympic silvers with both Linda and Eve, plus two World Championship golds again with Linda, it seems as though she considered the entire year a loss. She admits as much, but with a laugh. Evidently, her life has been a series of hurdles, including dealing with sight loss from a young age. This circumstances have honed her resilience. She shrugged off a shattered collarbone and illness simply because she’s faced far graver challenges before.
Linda, too, has had a trying year, particularly psychologically. However, their shared adversity brought them closer, with each lending moral support to the other. She voiced wholehearted admiration for Linda, praising both her endearing character and outstanding racing skills.
She’s invested heavily in her sport, sacrificing many things. Yet, she harbours no regrets. For her, the euphoria of topping the podium vindicates her sacrifices, erasing memories of setbacks, injuries, illnesses, and the gruelling training days.
Her awe-inspiring performance with Kelly in 2024 highlighted Kelly’s role in an incredibly successful year for her. Even with the triumphant year, there was a tinge of sadness as she joined forces with her long-standing partner McCrystal for McCrystal’s final Paralympics at the B 3000m individual pursuit in Paris. This marked their last race together following a decade-long, victorious run.
There were high emotions on that day, yet they learned to keep their focus when it was time to race. It was not until after the race they allowed themselves to reflect on the moment. Bagging the silver on that particular day lent extra significance to their final race together, their sixth Paralympic medal in total.
With Eve at her side, Dunlevy clinched her debut world-level reward in 2014, with her initial Paralympic medal following two years later, symbolising the start of a notably rewarding journey. Despite the inherent difficulties posed by tandem racing, especially in a gruelling sport such as cycling, she speaks fondly of the partnership, emphasising that the duo’s pairing – comprising one disabled and one able-bodied athlete – made their success even more special. Their collaboration was given a fitting conclusion, marking the end of an era of memorable camaraderie.
Post her victorious rallies in Paris and Zurich, Dunlevy embarked on a rigorous 25-day stretch during which she brought home five medals teamed with Kelly and McCrystal. Back home in Donegal, her father’s birthplace, a grand celebratory gathering was devoted to her achievements, accompanied by Kelly. With her striking medal haul in tow, she toured ten schools during her visit. More festive occasions awaited her in her own hometown, Crawley in West Sussex, alongside joyful family events, including birthdays and wedding anniversaries.
Last weekend, she finally seized the opportunity to revisit her stellar September performances, watching recorded footage with her loved ones. Comparing the anticipation and reality, she noted how time seemed to creep slowly in the buildup, with gruelling double-daily training sessions that left her drained. But in contrast, the actual events in Paris and Zurich seemed to rush by, leaving her in the blink of an eye. Predicting a reality-check once the buzz fades, she could only jest about having had no chance to sit back and reminiscence, thanks to the buzz around her.
As Dunlevy approaches her 43rd birthday next month, retirement lurks around the corner, a decision she’s not yet prepared to make. She admits uncertainty about her intent to move towards LA 2028, but decides to postpone the decision for another year. In the meantime, she’s contemplating her future sans sports, a daunting prospect considering her lifelong engagement in the field, and the inevitability of a career endpoint.
“I’m determined to contribute towards the sport that has given me so much. Maybe I could deliver talks at corporations or schools to inspire others. Additionally, I’m considering offering personal training or sports massage therapies. I’ve already taken some relevant courses but need to add more to my portfolio. I also have the ambition to pen down my experiences in a book after I retire.”
The entirety of September 2024 consists of rich narratives that could fill a separate volume, if not multiple.
Prior winners of each month are as follows – Fionnuala McCormack in December (Athletics), Lucy Mulhall in January (Rugby), Mona McSharry in February (Swimming), Rachael Blackmore in March (Horse racing), Róisín Ní Riain in April (Swimming), Rhasidat Adeleke in May (Athletics), Ciara Mageean in June (Athletics), Kellie Harrington in July (Boxing), and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh in August (Gaelic football).