Greencastle star Caislín Tracey’s remarkable sporting weekend

By Niall Gartland

A GOLD medal in New York, a sleepless flight home and a county final appearance after barely an hour’s rest – Caislín Tracey certainly packed a remarkable amount into one weekend.

The Greencastle sporting star won three medals in total at the World Handball Championships which were held a fortnight ago in New York, but had little time to savour her success.

And that’s putting it mildly – Sperrin Ógs’ Tyrone Junior Championship Ladies final against Donaghmore was scheduled for the exact same day as her return flight, and she simply couldn’t bring herself to miss it.

So after barely an hour’s sleep, she awoke to a hurried call from her mother Ursula.

It was time to get up and go! Fuelled by adrenaline and a few morsels of food, Caislín hopped in the car with teammates Eimear Tracey (a cousin) and Niamh Conway and off they went. A few hours later, they were county champions.

But what made it particularly meaningful wasn’t the sporting success in isolation. Caislín’s success on the handball court coincided with a deeply emotional anniversary – it was exactly 25 years to the week since her auntie Imelda passed away in New York.

The poignancy of the moment certainly wasn’t lost on Caislín, her father Kieran, who had joined her on the trip, and the rest of the Tracey family.

Caislín said, “It’s a crazy coincidence that it fell on the anniversary. It nearly feels like it was meant to be. My father had never been in New York either. It wasn’t a normal anniversary either – it was the 25th.

“Then to fly home on her anniversary weekend and win with Sperrin Óg in the county final, the team she loved and cared for so much, it nearly felt too good to be true – but it actually was.”

Caislín wasn’t even planning on entering the World Championships in the first place.

Everything just seemed to fall neatly into place for a talented young sportsperson who had already won two All-Ireland Handball titles this year, as well as lining out in midfield for Tyrone U20s, who reached the Ulster final.

“I wasn’t intending on going, but I came back from holidays and did well at a tournament at the start of August. So I reevaluated it and thought maybe we should just have a crack at it!

“Thankfully my dad’s cousin, Tracy Ann Ferguson, who lives over there, offered us accommodation, so we booked the flights that week and off we went.”

Caislín squeezed in some sightseeing while in New York, but the main order of business was handball and she excelled on the big stage.

Caislín said, “I played eight or nine games and I didn’t really know what to expect. You’re playing against players from all across the world, and you’re not sure what the standard would be like. I was really just going out to do my best, so I was delighted to come home with the three medals.”

Then there was the prospect of Sperrin Óg’s Junior Championship final against Donaghmore. She couldn’t sleep on the plane, so a brief nap back in Greencastle would have to suffice. Caislín takes up the tale. “The time we got back to the house from the airport, it was probably about 1pm and I was so tired. Mummy had actually some dinner ready for us, but I took about two mouthfuls and thought, ‘I’m too tired. I’ll eat it later. I’m just going to go to bed.’

“I went up to bed and set a couple of alarms so I’d be up and ready in time. My cousin Eimear and Niamh Conway were going to lift me, and obviously they were going to the final too.

“I woke up to my mum shouting up the stairs, ‘Caislín, Niamh and Eimear are here for you!’ I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!’ I was ready in five minutes and out the door. I got about an hour of a nap!”

Thankfully, it all came together on the day. Sperrin Óg surged to the title, with Caislín coming on as a substitute in the second half.

“I’d been starting all year, but obviously I missed the semi-final because I was in New York, and it genuinely would not have made sense to have me on the pitch from the start when I’d just woken up.

“Our team had been so dedicated since the start of the year – you should see all the running we’ve done – and it’s all worth it when you get a result like that.”

Her teammates celebrated long into the night, but Caislín needed to make a relatively early exit.

It wasn’t just the cumulative exhaustion of the previous 24 hours either. To cap off an unforgettable week, she commenced her studies at St Mary’s University College Belfast the very next day.

“There were celebrations back at the hall, but I called it a night very early, I was just too tired. I had to drive up to Belfast the next day as well.

“The whole team was like ‘ach, why are you going so early’. I was saying ‘I can’t keep my eyes open any longer!’”

Ultimately though, it had all been worth it. A World Champion in Handball, a County Champion back home – and the lasting significance of those extraordinary few days will always be tied to the memory of their beloved family member Imelda.