Roisin Lynch

I nominate Roisin because she has been an inspirational teacher and sportswoman all her adult life. She recently retired, but through the difficult years of the troubles in Derry, as a PE teacher she always encouraged the girls to achieve through participation in sport. Her enthusiasm was unending, and her commitment to the girls, in a school which experienced the troubles at first hand, was second to none. She traveled with school athletics and netball teams, all over Ireland for 35 years, giving up evening and weekends, freely and selflessly. Her only motivation was to help the pupils to achieve all they could in sport. She still trains and participates in sport. She has always been a competitive runner and swimmer, and in retirement, she now enthusiastically takes part in triathlons and athletics competitions, and as such, she is still an inspiration to everyone, young and old alike. She is a great example to others. She shows everyone that you can keep on enjoying sport no matter what difficulties you have to face in life, and in addition, sport will always enhance the quality of your life and that of your community.