Ellen Keane bade farewell as a competitive Paralympian yesterday in Paris but it is likely only the turning of a page in the life of one of Ireland’s most popular sporting stars of the past two decades.
There is something special about Ellen who we have known in competition at this level since she was 13 years old swimming in Beijing.
A million dollar smile, infectious enthusiasm and comfort telling her story have made her more than a swimmer. Working comfortably with brands we have seen her unfurl the story of her life in TV ads, interviews and a biography that have given us the key to her front door and in so doing helped thousands of others wit a disability to face the world with a smile and a sense of their own right to a place in it.
I’ve had the pleasure to interview her on stage and away from the cameras and every time has been a pleasure, going back to our first Sport for Social Good event ten years ago alongside Damien O’Neill of Allianz. We have been privileged to offer sneak previews of ads at different events and it was emotional to be there at La Defense Arena yesterday and to share a hug outside after her final swim.
Paralympic and World Championship medals have been a reward for the work in the pool but it is her legacy outside that is perhaps of even greater performance.
She spoke openly about her lucky fin but is also conscious of how it was swimming that enabled her to come out of herself and face the world.
From hiding her disability under baggy clothes she chose to go swimming and put it on full display, and learned how to tell her story in a way that others in a similar position could take strength from.
In 2019 she was contacted by the Dad of Gemma Sellick, a young Australian with a similar underdeveloped arm. She took time out to meet here and two years later was in the pool alongside her.
She has been the best possible advocate and role model throughout here career, showing that life with a difference can be a life like any other. That it is the person not the way they look that is the important thing.
Having studied catering at TU Dublin through her career, come second in Dancing With the Stars and shone whenever she has stepped into the spotlight she now has to face the next chapter, at the still tender age of 29.
We wish her well, thank her for the memories, and say well done on everything she has achieved in sport, in life and on behalf of so many others she might never know.
Sport for Business, in partnership with Allianz, will hold the 2024 Sport for Business Sport for Social Good Conference on Thursday, October 24th. This is one of ten events currently planned for the remainder of 2024.
Register your interest to attend a Sport for Business event here.
The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.
Find out more about joining us today.
