Kellie Harrington

 

Kellie Harrington is Ireland’s latest Olympic Gold medallist, words that we will never tire of writing.

She is the first of our 2021 Women of Influence to be drawn from the Sporting Arena and is making her third appearance on the list.

She is a fighter from the North East Inner City of Dublin and her roots in the city are a key part of her charming and accessible character. She continues to be an active role model within the local area having dropped in on events at the Dublin City Sport and Wellbeing Partnership Dublin Sportsfest in recent weeks.

We have been involved with her in events going back to 2016 and she is the star that everyone is attracted towards.

She is important because she reaches out to groups of young girls, and boys, with the hope that they can grow up to be like her, if not in the boxing ring then in whatever they want to turn their hand to.

When the National Sports Policy was launched in the summer of 2018 she was the sporting star that the Ministers and Sport Ireland officials put front and centre stage. At that point, she was a European and World Champion. Now she has moved onto another level.

It is her performance that puts her in the public eye but it is her personality and her ability to connect that makes her one of a kind.

 

 

This is the ninth edition of our Sport for Business listing of 50 Women of Influence in Irish Sport.

We are proud to do so this year with a new partner in AIG, an organisation that have pledged their commitment to equality in their partnerships with Gaelic Games, Tennis, Golf and more, for whom “Effort is Equal” and with whom we have ambitious plans to extend the reach of this annual celebration of the Women who are making a difference.

They are drawn as before from the worlds of leadership, partnership, storytelling and performance.

We began this journey in 2013 when challenged that we would never be able to produce a list of twenty Influential Women in Irish Sport. The 20 stretched to 30, then 40 and 50 and it still does not do justice to the talent that is out there.

This year once more, to keep things fresh we will introduce at least 30 per cent of fresh names from last year. That will be the hardest part to have some names replaced but if it was too easy it would be of less value.

The list we will build over the coming weeks is a snapshot of those women who are making a mark on how sport is played, consumed, grown and delivered.

They are part of making the role of women in sport unexceptional by being exceptional in what they do.

Recognition of their contribution is rarely asked for but is fully deserved, and we want your help in identifying those who you feel should be among them.

We will start to publish the first of this year’s list on Sport for Business next week, and share them for all across social media in parallel.

So, who do you think should be on the list for 2021?

 

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