Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly are the Irish Times Sportswoman award for September. Competing in Paris and Zurich was not an easy path for the pair with numerous injuries and illnesses.
In early May, they crashed during a World Cup race in Belgium, leaving Dunlevy badly bruised and with a hand injury, while Kelly suffered a concussion. Ten days later, Eve McCrystal stepped in to pilot Dunlevy in another race in Italy, where they crashed again. Despite Dunlevy’s severe pain, they managed a fourth-place finish, discovering after the race that she had broken her collarbone.
It was a year was marked by challenges. Together, Dunlevy and Kelly endured five crashes. Kelly battled Covid twice and faced a leg infection, while Dunlevy dealt with an arm infection and a virus that sidelined her for three days just before the Paralympics. To top it off, she tested positive for Covid before the World Championships.
Despite these setbacks, Dunlevy’s success in 2024 has been extraordinary, and she credits Kelly for their medal-laden year.
Dunlevy previously won the Irish Times Sportswoman of the Month in August 2023 (individual) and August 2021 (with Eve McCrystal).
