Echo Sports Awards 2019: Geoghegan picks up Sports Challenge Award
TALLAGHT’S Paul Geoghegan received The Echo 2019 Sports Challenge’ Award at the annual Gala Night in the Green Isle Hotel.
The 20-year-old blind judo competitor enjoyed a great year that featured victory in the Tipperary Open and the accumulation of the points necessary to grade for his black belt.
Tallaght’ man Paul Geoghegan is presented with The Echo Sports Challenge Award 2019 by William O’Connor, News Editor, The Echo
Becoming seriously involved in the sport at the age of 13, Geoghegan now harbours the ambition of competing on the Paralympic stage in 2024.
Receiving the ‘Sports Challenge’ Award on Thursday night, the TUD student explained how the sport of judo suited an athlete with a serious visual impairment, saying “Out of all the martial arts I’ve done, this is definitely more of a grappling sport.
“It’s something about feeling how people move. Guys who are at the top of judo wouldn’t really use their vision as much as you would really think. It’s about feeling how your opponent moves and how to gauge what your opponent does next.
“When I did karate I’d get participation [award] stuff. But to go from that to actually getting gold medals in Opens here in Ireland up in Derry, Tipperary and Dublin and then going to get my black belt at the age of 20, it’s amazing to be honest” he said.
