Hometown Heroes: Life-changing hit-and-run put Olivia on a better track

Following a life-changing hit-and-run incident, Olivia Keating decided to spend her second lease at life giving back to her community and those around her.

Heavily involved in Rebel Wheelers, for children with physical disabilities, Olivia has been heading up the athletics section, as well as helping out with Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) Sport and the Irish Para Athletics. Olivia also volunteers with Kinsale RNLI and is training to be a boat crew member.

“My grandfather sailed for about 40 years and my father was a fisherman in Kinsale for a brief period. The sea is always something I have loved and had a great interest in. I have no fear of the water, but I have great respect for it,” she said.

Olivia, who was an ultra runner and marathon runner, explained how her focus changed from chasing times to nurturing young talent.

“Nearly six years ago, I had a life-changing accident while out cycling my bike the day before the Cork City Marathon in 2016.”

Suffering from an Achilles injury, Olivia took the bike out for a spin to loosen out the muscles and was hit by a vehicle and sent flying through a road sign.

“I was in an induced coma, due to the traumatic brain injury and had broken numerous bones, too many to mention, mainly all down the left side of my body.”

Olivia spent a month in Cork University Hospital and then went onto the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire for a few months.

She spent two years in and out of hospital as an outpatient receiving numerous therapies and treatments, including physio, occupational therapy, and speech-and-language therapy.

“I lost half my vocabulary from my head injury. It took a long time to recover.”

While in hospital, Olivia said a number of people volunteered their time to check in on her and it made her rethink her life.

“I didn’t know initially what my future would be, so I was looking for a way to keep active and mobile. In the end, I didn’t need to use a walking stick or frame full time or a wheelchair, but that didn’t mean that others wouldn’t and as I loved athletics so much, this was something I wanted to be involved in.”

Oliva reached out to Cork Sports Partnerships about a sports-ability day that they were holding.

“An hour and a half later, I had agreed to work with Padraig Healy, one of the sports inclusion officers at the time, about getting a wheelchair track programme up and running.

Olivia got involved in ‘The Saturday Morning Club’, which introduces children to a variety of sports, activities, fun and games.

Last summer, with the help of Kate Feeney, the then sports inclusion officer with Cork Sports Partnership, and Craig Harrington, from the athletics division, Olivia got the ‘Little Athletics Programme’ up and running.

Olivia said the children she works with in the Rebel Wheelers have been an inspiration.

“The way they have inspired me so much without even knowing it, they’ve shown me how to adapt, change the way I was doing things, and to just go out there and enjoy it and have fun again.

“To watch them improve week after week with athletics, throwing stronger or a little further or running or pushing on the track a little quicker or with better skill, to see their confidence increase week after week, and to see them form friendships was an added bonus.”

Outlining her motivation, Olivia referenced the help she received from others during her recovery.

“My love of sports has always helped me throughout life, so as cheesy as it sounds, I just wanted to pay it forward. I was given my life back and I just want to know that for ‘Liv part 2’ I’m helping someone, putting a smile on someone’s face, or helping them get through a tough time. I can’t repay everyone that has helped me, but I can try to help others.”

Olivia, who is back running and cycling and has cycled across Vietnam and India in recent years, was recently the recipient of a Volunteer Cork award, winning the Volunteer of the Year, Sport award.

“I was incredibly proud and grateful and my parents, Tony and Rita, were very proud of me too. I wasn’t expecting it.”

In terms of sharing life lessons, Olivia said she has seen that life is too short for holding back.

“Life is far too short and can be taken from us at any given moment, so it has taught me to enjoy life more to help out where and when I can.”

Olivia said both Rebel Wheelers and the RNLI are voluntary organisations that are giving back in a big way to the community.

Anyone who would like to donate to either cause or find out more, can visit: http://rebelwheelers.com/ and https://rnli.org/support-us/give-money