Nadia has been wowing us since she qualified for the World Youth Championships— no easy feat at 17. Since then, she’s been the one to watch. We’ve also been keeping up with Kellie’s career over the last few years and just know she will deliver at the Olympics this year. First, let’s get to know both of them a bit better:
Who are Nadia Power and Kellie Harrington?
Dublin born and raised, 23-year-old Nadia began her athletics at eight years of age with her local club, moving from sprint to middle distance running. As her last name suggests, Nadia is pure power when it comes to athletics.
Kellie Harrington is an Irish amateur boxer, born in 1989 and is from inner-city Dublin. Kellie started her boxing career as a teenager but found it difficult to become part of a club. It took a year for her to one that would take her, their reasoning behind them not allowing her was because she was a girl. Kellie didn’t let their words affect her, though, and instead, through commitment and determination, showed them what a girl could do when she won the gold medal in the 2018 Women’s World Boxing Match.
What we’ll see from Nadia and Kellie at the Olympics
Nadia is a middle-distance runner and competes in the 800-metre race. In 2020 she came first in the national senior indoor championship, securing her spot in the Olympics. It wasn’t the one race that got her to that point, though. Before that, Nadia travelled around Europe, competing to secure her place in Tokyo. With funding and Covid-19 proving to be an issue for her, Nadia spent nearly a thousand euros of her own money on Covid tests alone.
It was only in February this year that Nadia set a new personal best of 2:00.98— nearly 1.5 seconds off her indoor national record! This time also means that she is the new Irish record holder of the 800-metre run. Nadia’s motto is ‘Where some see barriers, I see the next milestone’, and we just know that it will take her the whole way in Tokyo this Summer. Running the 800-metre race is not an easy challenge, but we know Nadia is up for it. No matter what place she takes, her tenacity and dedication to keep going makes her a winner in our eyes.
Kellie is the world champion of the 60kg and silver medallist of the 64kg lightweight division in amateur boxing. She believes that nothing is impossible; all you have to do is ‘stay focussed, work hard, and be open to healthy criticism to help you improve your game.’
That determination led to Kellie securing her place in the Summer Olympic Games when she beat IBF super featherweight world champion Maiva Hamadouche, with a 4:1 split in the early rounds, giving her the gold, and assuring her place in Tokyo.
Being one of the three Irish amateur world elite champions, we expect nothing but greatness from Kellie this July. Kellie is looking to become the second woman in Ireland to win the gold at the Olympics and is hard at work, training each day to make that dream a reality. Her persistence and dedication will drive her to success in Tokyo, and we are all excited to see it!
Why Nadia and Kellie are the perfect ambassadors for McSport
Like Nadia, we don’t see barriers at McSport, only the next milestone to reach. That’s why we’re so happy to be partnered with her and can’t wait to see what she will achieve. As said by our Director, Philip McLaughlin:
‘There is no doubt that Nadia will go far in the Olympics this year. Her dedication and athleticism have impressed us time and time again, and we can’t wait to see what she does at Tokyo!’
Likewise with Kellie, McSport know that it takes more than just luck to be successful, and what’s more, is that both McSport and Kellie both had their career beginnings in Dublin. Kellie has always stood out to us as the one to watch, and we are delighted she has become one of our Olympic Ambassadors. As our marketing manager Gillian Nolan expressed:
‘There is no one better than Kellie to represent Ireland in the lightweight boxing this year at the Olympics. Being one of three Irish amateur world elite champions takes a lot of endurance and training, and we know that Kellie will bring that same commitment and resolve to the ring in Tokyo.’
We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. Best of luck to both Nadia and Kellie this year at the Olympic games!
