Cadden credits Ballina track for her European success

West Sligo 400m Relay star Lauren Cadden has condemned the online racist abuse directed at her European champion teammate Rhasidat Adeleke.

Cadden was speaking at a celebratory reception held in her honour last Sunday at her alma mater, ATU Sligo.

“I think it’s horrible to see. Rhasidat is the most humble girl. She’s an absolute superstar. She’d never make you feel belittled or anything. I think it’s petty. It’s people making fake accounts online and being a little keyboard warrior. If you’ve nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” she told the Western People.

“We step foot on that track with the green vest on and you try to put your best foot forward for your country. Your nation is behind you and for people to go online and start giving hate, it is horrible and it can bring you down. Obviously as a team and as a whole we try to stick together and bring each other up but it is horrible when people go online and leave nasty comments. I’ve been fortunate enough, I haven’t gotten a lot (of abuse), I’ve gotten one or two (comments) especially in indoors races and I know how hard it is,” she said.

“I’ve seen some of the comments that were put up and they were horrible so I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Yeah, I think it’s very bad form and people definitely need to have a think about it before they post online because it can really have an effect on someone’s mental health and on their performance,” she added.

The Skreen native told gathered family, friends and fans of her years of training, injury and disappointment that finally led her to silver medal glory in last week’s European Championships, including training in Belleek Woods during lockdown.

“There’s a track in Ballina right beside Belleek Castle, it’s an open track, you can just walk on. Myself and Dermot (McDermott) would have gone back to Mayo, to Ballina for a few sessions, may have been breaking one or two rules but I don’t think it was for a bad reason,” she smiled. “That’s actually one of my favourite tracks that I have ever run on, still to this day. I have had sessions back there that I felt like lightening on so it has a good place in my heart,” she said.

“I said to Dermot we must get another session over there because I think I’ll come off it feeling quite confident,” she said.

Cadden was runner number three in the women’s 400m Relay heat and passed the baton on to Charlene Maudsley who came first. 

“It was unreal. I actually got the call the night before that I was going to be running. Coming away from the Bahamas, coming into Rome, when I stepped on the track I actually felt at home and I felt like I belonged there. As nervous as I was, adrenalin takes over when you’re standing on the track. You just want to get the baton and run,” she said.

Winning the silver medal meant “everything and more” than the 24-year-old Health Science and Physical Activity graduate ever dreamed of.

“If you told me this time last year that I’d be standing here with a European medal around my neck I don’t think I would have believed you. I was injured this time last year. Mentally it was hard on me because I knew I was in good shape, but injury came back. It is draining, there was days when I wondered ‘can I keep going?’ but I think the people around me have been very good to me,” she said.

The taste of success has spurred Cadden on now for the coming two weeks in advance of the National Track and Field Championships in Dublin on June 29. 

“The hard training is going to be made a little bit easier knowing that there are possibilities coming up and I want to be there,” she said.

The Irish Olympic team is going to be selected in July and Cadden makes it no secret that a place on the team “is the end goal” for her.

“I have to keep working, training and I have to perform. Myself and Dermot are working closely, he’s pushing me on so I just have to see what happens.”