Cork City Sports - Athlete of the Month Award August 2015 - Rob Heffernan and Special Award for Bro. Colm O'Connell

Rob Heffernan and Bro. Colm O'Connell Honoured at Cork City Sports August Awards

L to R: Kieran McGeary, 96 & 103 FM, Bill Allen, Chairman, Cork Athletics, Bro. Colm O'Connell, Tony O'Connell, Cork City Sports, Rob Heffernan, Toger AC, Michael Nugent, Deputy Lord Mayor and Ruairi O'Connor, River Lee Hotel

Video Compilation of Awards Photocall

Video of Citation and Presentations to Rob Heffernan and Bro. Colm O'Connell

Rob Heffernan, Togher AC - Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month - August 2015

Rob and Marian Heffernan, with their two daughters

Rob Heffernan, Togher AC, has been awarded the Cork City Sports Star of the Month award for August. Rob receives the award for his 5th place performance in the 50k Walk, at the IAAF World Championships, in Beijing, China.

This is Robert Heffernan's sixth Cork City Sports Star award.

Rob Heffernan's IAAF Athlete Profile

Bro. Colm O'Connell Honoured

L to R, Bill Allen, Chairman, Cork Athletics, Bro. Colm O'Connell, Mary McSweeney, Kilbrittain (Bro. Colm's sister) and Michael Nugent, Deputy Lord Mayor

Bro. Colm O'Connell was presented with a special award for his successful, and lifelong, devotion to athletics. Despite the unsurpassed success of his proteges, Bro. Colm has never attended a major championships, perhaps a reflection of his clear modesty and humility.

Adapted from Wikipedia
"Brother Colm O'Connell is an Irish missionary to Iten, Kenya, originally from Caherduggan, Mallow, County Cork. He joined the Patrician Brothers, training in Tullow, Co. Carlow, and went on to study at NUIG. Following a two year period in Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge, he left for the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, in 1976, to teach geography at St. Patrick's High School in Iten, Keiyo District, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. He came to Iten expecting to stay just three months. He has lived in Iten ever since.

Despite having no coaching background, he began helping aspiring young athletes, taking over training athletes from Peter Foster, brother of British runner Brendan Foster. Today, he has 120 training camps and is known as "the Godfather of Kenyan running". His work with the youth has included track and field training. Twenty five of his students have gone on to become world champions. Six have won Olympic gold medals.

His students have include Edna Kiplagat, Florence Kiplagat, Lornah Kiplagat, Linet Masai, Mary Keitany, Ibrahim Kipkemboi Hussein, Peter Rono, Matthew Birir, Sammy Tirop, Haron Lagat, Janeth Jepkosgei, Viola Kibiwott, Brimin Kipruto, Joseph Tengelei, Isaac Songok, Wilson Boit, Vivian Cheruiyot, Michael Kipyego, Augustine Kiprono Choge, Wilson Kipketer and David Lekuta Rudisha. Bro. O'Connell is credited in starting the influx of female athletes to Iten in the early 1990s, when he trained and hosted World Champion Sally Barsosio, Rose Cheruiyot, and world junior champion, Lydia Cheromei.

In 2001, O'Connell was awarded an honorary MA from NUI Galway, for his services to Africa and to Athletics. His work as a coach was captured by the documentary "'Man on a Mission' - O'Connell and the rise of Kenyan Athletics", by Jamie D'Alton and Anne McLoughlin, and presented by Eamonn Coughlan."

The Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month Award is sponsored by 96FM/C103FM, The Evening Echo and The River Lee Hotel

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