A GROUP OF 15 athletes from Finn Valley AC have touched down in Portugal for a week-long warm weather training camp.
The group will be based in Monte Gordo, in the eastern Algarve.
A high level group of young athletes has made the journey.
Among them are Irish 60m indoor silver medalist Janine Boyle and the Irish 400m and long jump Irish champion Arlene Crossan.
Picture caption: The Finn Valley AC group before their departure last night. Picture by Kieran Carlin.
Boyle is a silver-carded athlete and Crossan is bronze-carded.
Also included in the traveling party is Danny Browne, who has ran 60m in seven seconds recently and another national medalist.
The group is being led by Shauna Carlin, an athlete of some renown down Stranorlar’s Millbrae.
Carlin holds the Donegal and Ulster record for the indoor long jump following her 5.84 metre leap in Nenagh in 2007.
“All the athletes we have going are at a good, high level,” says Carlin, who has Sharon Bradley aiding her this week.
“I did weeks like this and went away with Finn Valley. It’s a brilliant week.
“It’s a great week for experience. The kids are away from the parents and are getting a taste of how to live a life they hope to achieve.
“They’re away learning to fend for themselves. They’ll be in a good training regime and we have allocated two hours of study time each day for those athletes who have exams coming up.”
The Finn Valley gang landed at their base today and will be in Portugal until next Saturday evening.
“A few of the group are pushing for standards,” Carlin says.
“The weather in Ireland doesn’t really favour sprinters, for example, or the jumpers.
“A week away in the heat will do wonders for them and it’s a great opportunity for the others going out to train in this environment too.”
The athletes who are on the training camp are: Aine Kerr, Arlene Crossan, Cliodhna Harvey, Danny Browne, Eloise Carlin, Eoghan Bradley, Janine Boyle, Jonathan Carlin, Joey Donald, Noah Sanni, Oisin Bradley, Pauric Harrold, Sarah Doherty, Shane Irwin, Sinéad Gallagher.
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