5 Facts: Ireland's Noelle Lenihan

Ireland’s teenage thrower Noelle Lenihan will compete in the discus F38 at the World Para Athletics Championships in London, Great Britain next week. (14-23 July). She won Paralympic bronze at Rio 2016 last year to add to the silver medal she won at the 2015 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. Here’s the lowdown on the young Cork star:

1) Lenihan made her international debut at the Berlin Grand Prix in Germany in 2015.

2) In her spare time Lenihan likes to read – mostly thrillers!

3) The 17-year-old earned a sports scholarship to Maynooth University in Ireland - she starts an Arts degree in criminology and physchological studies later this year.

4) Lenihan comes from a sporting family and is coached by her dad Jim. She played camogie (the women’s version of hurling in Ireland) when she was young. Her elder sister Siobhan excelled in middle distance running, winning a scholarship to Arkansas Tech university in the USA. Her younger sister Megan is a talented thrower too.

5) She set a new world record at the 2016 European Championships in Grosseto, Italy, winning gold with a best of 32.14m.