A former rower from New Ross in County Wexford will represent Great Britain in at the Dragon Boat World Championship.
That's according to the Irish Independent.
Dr Niamh Malone used to row for the New Ross Boat Club.
She has been named in the Senior A team for the 16th Dragon Boat World Championship, which takes place in Thailand in the summer.
The 44-year-old now represents Liverpool-based Amathus Dragon Boat Club and will represent Great Britain in the competition.
She is eligible to do so as she has lived in the UK for over three years.
Niamh won the 2,000m at the National Championship in September and progressed to a multi-stage trial.
In those, she won her place in the 21-person world championship squad.
Following that, Niamh had a few other trials to face before securing her place on the team for good.
The final trial took place in mid-March and included gym tests and individual and team boat trials.
Competitors had to reach a certain level in each category to be selected.
Dragon boat racing is similar to rowing.
It sees teams of ten or 20 paddlers compete to complete a defined distance in the shortest possible time.
People sit in twos and use a single-bladed paddle.
Each boat has a drummer and a steerer, with everybody in the boat paddling to the rhythm of the drum.
Niamh told the New Ross Standard that her time spent under the coaching of Aidan Wickham at the New Ross Boat Club made the transition easier.
She is now preparing for an intense training schedule as she gets ready for the World Championship.
“This is my first time representing Team GB. It feels a bit strange being Irish and representing another country, but the squad is made up of several nationalities, including Chinese, Iranian, Welsh and English.” Niamh said.
Her training schedule includes five, two-hour sessions on the water each week, alongside five gym sessions and meet-ups with the squad twice a month.
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