The Sligo athlete was special guest at the Sligo and Limerick Tailteann Cup quarter-final on Saturday in Markievicz Park and there was a homecoming event in ATU Sligo on Sunday.
Atlantic Technological University (ATU) held a special celebration in honour of their alumna, who recently secured a silver medal on the final night of the European Athletics Championships in Rome. The atmosphere was electric as students, faculty, and community members gathered to honour Cadden’s achievements.
Lauren Cadden, a sports scholarship student at ATU, has been making sports headlines recently. In April, she had a record-breaking performance at the Irish Life Health National Senior Track & Field Intervarsities Championships in Belfast. Cadden clinched the women’s 400 metres title with a time of 53.38 seconds, breaking a long-standing record that had stood since 1999. Cadden said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received, “I’ve been running on adrenaline, but I wouldn’t change this moment for anything. I may never experience it again, so I’m soaking it all in. Sometimes I look at the medal and think, ‘Is that really mine?’ This win has definitely boosted my confidence and made me believe in myself more. It’s everything I’ve worked for, and I like to think I deserve it. It’s great to be back at ATU where my step in the right direction really took off.”
Dr Orla Flynn, President of ATU, congratulated Lauren on her accomplishments: “Lauren’s dedication and hard work have truly paid off, and we are incredibly proud of her achievements. She is an inspiration to all our students, demonstrating the heights that can be reached with determination and perseverance. Congratulations, Lauren, on your remarkable success!” Lauren Cadden is back training this week with ambitions to represent Ireland at the Olympics.
The Skreen native followed fellow European medallist Chris O’Donnell into the history books as she was part of the silver medal winning Ireland women’s 4x400m relay team competing at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. It was another medal haul for the Irish, with O’Donnell’s 4x400m mixed relay team winning gold the previous Friday.
Cadden was greeted by a large group of well wishers at ATU Sligo on Sunday, her former college.
ATU Sligo said they were extremely proud of Cadden’s achievements.
“Join us this Sunday, 16 June, at 1:45 pm at the main reception of the ATU Sligo campus to welcome Lauren Cadden, our amazing graduate!
“Lauren received a silver medal at the European Athletics Championships after Ireland’s fantastic second place finish in the Women’s 4x400m final.
“Let’s give Lauren the celebration she deserves! Everyone—students, staff, and the general public—is invited. Well done, Lauren, from everyone at ATU!.”
On Saturday, Cadden was also special guest during Sligo’s meeting with Limerick in the Tailteann Cup quarter-final in Markievicz Park.
The athlete was joined by fellow medallist Chris O’Donnell’s mother on the pitch at half-time where they were greeted by young children who were eager to get their photograph taken with Cadden.
It was a brilliant championships from an Irish perspective, O’Donnell and his 4×400 mixed relay team winning gold and following in the footsteps of Sonia O’Sullivan as Sligo’s Cadden then won silver with the women’s 4x400m relay team.
In 25 previous editions of these championships, across 90 years, Ireland had never won more than three medals, its best previous showing coming in 1998 where Sonia O’Sullivan won double gold over 5000m and 10,000m and Mark Carroll won 5000m bronze. But with the mixed relay gold on Friday, Ciara Mageean’s gold on Sunday, Rhasidat Adeleke’s silver on Monday and this silver, they leave with four.