Trim school’s elation as swimming champion returns in triumph

There was a joyous reception for Scoil Mhuire student Eleanor Murray when she returned to school in Trim on Monday morning with her gold and bronze medals which she won at the Down’s Syndrome International and World Swimming Championships, held in Taiwan. Eleanor, a daughter of Elizabeth and Tom Murray, is a third year student at Scoil Mhuire and was one of a team of seven Irish athletes who travelled to Taipei to take part in the swimming championships last week. The 16-year-old won a gold medal in the 50m freestyle competition and also set a new personal best time of 52.32 seconds, shaving 1.43 seconds off her previous best performance. Eleanor also won a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly event and again set a new personal best time of 2.17.90m, beating her previous best time in the event by 6.95 seconds. Eleanor travelled to Taipei with her parents, Elizabeth and Tom, brother Paul and aunt Sue. Her mother Elizabeth said this week: “We are very proud of Eleanor. She has been training for two years for the championships and set new personal bests in three of the four events which she took part in.” Eleanor trains at Aura in Trim and her coach is John Fox from Summerhill. She also trains in the mainstream swimming club with coach Tara Bernie on Saturday mornings and trains in the gym two to three nights each week with manager Damien. Mrs Murray said they had all been very supportive of Eleanor. She also thanked Padraic Keogh Travel in Trim which looked after the travel arrangements for the whole Irish team. There was great excitement in Scoil Mhuire as news came through last week that Eleanor had won two medals and her classmates made letters spelling the words 'Eleanor- World Champion’ across the windows of the school to welcome her on Monday. There were also posters of congratulations to greet Eleanor in the school hallway and, as she entered the school, the song 'Congratulations’ was played across the school’s intercom. All the school gathered in the school gym and there was rapturous applause to welcome the new swimming champion and her parents. School principal Jacqueline Maher made a speech congratulating Eleanor and Eleanor herself also spoke. A presentation was made to Eleanor in honour of her achievements. Ms Maher said everyone in the school was very proud of Eleanor and that it was a privilege to have her in the school. “Eleanor is a great girl and is a role model for all the other girls. It is a lesson for us all what commitment and dedication can do. Eleanor is so dedicated and swims every morning before school. Her dedication is an inspiration to us all,” said Ms Maher. This World Championship is Eleanor’s biggest win to date and she is already looking forward to taking part in the next World Championships in Italy in two years’ time. She is also in training for the European Championships, which will take place in Southampton in the UK and Albufeira, Portugal.