Thomas Barr is the June winner of the Waterford Sports Awards, in association with WLR and the Granville Hotel.
June saw Thomas play an integral role in a piece of Irish athletics history - as he powered home to a gold medal for Team Ireland at the European Athletics Championships at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome - alongside teammates Chris O’Donnell, Rhadisat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley.
It was the first time that any Irish athletes other than Sonia O’Sullivan had won a gold medal at the championships in 80 years - and followed on from a bronze medal achieved at the World Championships in the Bahamas in May.
Speaking on accepting the award, the Ferrybank AC man said: “I’m honoured to win this award and really appreciate it. It’s been a busy month, but a very very successful one. It’s something that I’m very grateful for at this stage of my career because I thought that my medal days might have been beyond me! I’m lucky to still be part of such an amazing team at the moment.”
June also saw Barr win a 12th national 400m mens’ hurdle title - and all roads now lead to the Olympic Games in Paris for the Dunmore native.
“It’s given me a whole fresh outlook. I’ve got 12 national titles, I’ve travelled the world with a sport that I started out as a hobby. I never really had any dreams or aspirations of making it to an international level at all and just enjoyed every minute of it. I rode the wave, got on the train and kept going. I’ve always loved just challenging myself and look at where it’s landed me. This sport has taken me to places that I could’ve never even imagined.”
Each month, an outstanding sports star will be crowned the winner of the monthly WLR Granville Waterford Sports Awards.
The 12 monthly recipients will then gather for a black-tie Gala Banquet at the Granville Hotel in January 2025, where the first WLR Granville Waterford Sports Star of the Year will be revealed.
