Ballycastle girl is inspirational

Having undergone not one but two liver transplants in 2007 and 2009, the Ballycastle lass she has shown tremendous resilience and talent to return home with three medals from the British Transplant Games which has been running for the past 30 years.

The Year 8 Cross and Passion School pupil has built upon what has already been a fantastic sporting year winning silver medals in the 25m freestyle, 50m backstroke and relay at the swinning event in Bolton. 15-year old Lucia also finished fourth in both the 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke events.

This latest success for Lucia comes hot on the heels of her last medal haul in June at the 18th World Transplant Games in Gothenburg, Sweden where she won gold in the Badminton event, silver in both the Long Jump and 50m Breaststroke and bronze in the 50m Freestyle.

Following her return from the British Transplant Games, she commented: “Before my first transplant, family life was really very normal. I went to school, did gymnastics and lots of other sports. I have always been into sports, in fact just before I first became ill I won triple gold at a local gymnastics competition.”

Despite life being very different for Lucia since her transplants, she has shown that nothing will stand in her way as she continues to enjoy sporting success on both the national and international stage.