Lisburn runner is on top of the world after winning Masters Championship title

Cathy, who is a running coach and runs her own Personal Training and Weight Loss Clinic in Lisburn, was struck down a year ago with severe illness caused by a brain injury which almost saw the end of her running career.

For most of 2022, training and fitness was the last thing on her mind as she spent most of the year in and out of hospital, rehabilitating back to health.

However talent and tenacity were some of the key ingredients she grew up with as a very young Irish International all those years ago.

She is daughter of Ireland's boxing Legend Jim Mc Court, an Olympic medallist in Tokyo in 1964, European Medallist and Commonwealth Gold Medallist in Jamaica 1966. Cathy’s performance in Torun was exceptional and she stated that it was so important to make adjustments to her training instead of making excuses.

She got the all clear in November last year and used this competition in Torun as a motivation to get back to full health and fitness.

Her talent combined with her fighting spirit saw the Lisburn athlete return to full training in January going from strength to strength as the weeks went by. Cathy has won almost every Championship on the road and XC as a junior and senior and competed at International level since she was school age, but she believes winning the World half marathon in Torun and getting silver in the F50 10k Road Race, ranks as one of her greatest achievements.

"This time last year I never dreamt this would be possible as I had to come back from a place I had never been before,” she said. “That was frightening.

"My dad is my mentor. He told me never to give up. This is what I would tell anyone, especially young athletes growing up today.

"Champions rarely come from ideal circumstances. I had to work so hard and believe to achieve. Dreams do come true and I returned from Poland as a World Masters Champion.”