Bethany and Sycerika are honoured at awards night

Bethany and Sycerika are honoured at awards night

1 January 2013

SEAFORDE swimmer Bethany Firth was honoured as a finalist at The Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year 2012 held in The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin, just before Christmas.

At just 16 years old, Bethany won Ireland’s first gold in the women’s 100m backstroke S14 at the Paralympic Games in London with an amazing performance at the Olympic Aquatics Centre.

She was one of 12 sports stars recognised for their outstanding achievements and was in the running for the overall title of Sportswoman of the Year 2012.

Portaferry swimmer, Sycerika McMahon, was also honoured at the ceremony after she won the monthly award for November.

Seventeen year-old Sycerika, who competed in the Olympic Games in London, won a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke and broke nine Irish records at the European Short Course Championships in France and won a total of eight national titles at the Irish Short Course Swimming Championships in Lisburn.