“I definitely want to do something other than athletics”
Over the past year, Sharlene Mawdsley has made a name for herself as one of the finest anchor leg runners in the world, as Ireland enjoyed unprecedented relay success in 2024.
Alongside Chris O’Donnell, Thomas Barr, and Rhasidat Adeleke, Mawdsley and Ireland brought home mixed 4×400 relay gold, and women’s 4×400 silver – with Adeleke, Sophie Becker, and Phil Healy – at the European Championships in June.
While they were not favourites for a medal at the Olympics, the women’s team put on a heroic show to just miss out on bronze in Paris.
With the team becoming a serious medal contender on a world stage, while inspiring a generation of young girls runners, it will please many to hear that the Tipp woman has changed her retirement plans.
In an interview with the Irish Independent, she said:
I have missed out on a few [weddings] during the past year. I definitely want to be a mother, so my plan is to run until 2028 and then retire,’
I always said I would retire in 2024, but because things are going well and I’ll be 30 in 2028, that will be enough.
I definitely want to do something other than athletics, but I will be really happy if I make it to the LA Olympics and finish there. If I don’t have to sit at a desk for the next four years, I’ll be pretty happy.
Mawdsley recently moved to London to change training group.
In November she said: “Post Olympics I decided I wanted to try something new.. so I’ve started something new. 👀
“I have decided to move training group to train with Tony Lester I am very excited for this chapter of my career and I feel extremely lucky to be training with some really talented and likeminded people.”
