SARAH LAVIN will be one of Team Ireland’s leading lights at the European Indoor Championships in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn.
The Limerick runner — who won her seventh Irish national indoor title last month — will compete in the women’s 60m hurdles.
Sarah Lavin at the 2024 Olympics Ball[/caption]
She credited her close knit family with her rise[/caption]
They all travelled to Paris for the Olympics[/caption]
Her partner, Craig Breen, died in April 2023[/caption]
She will be joined by the likes of Sharlene Mawdsley, Phil Healy and others in the Netherlands this week with action being shown on RTE.
It comes after a 2024 that saw her come fifth at the World Indoor Championships, suffer a setback at the Europeans in Rome, and compete at the Paris Olympics.
Off the track, meanwhile, Lavin was surrounded by a loving family after experiencing dreadful personal tragedy.
Here is everything you need to know about Sarah Lavin.
How old is Sarah Lavin?
Sarah Lavin was born in May 1994, making her 30 years of age.
She started athletics when she was just seven and ran in school and for Emerald AC, while Lavin was also coached by Noelle Morrissey in juvenile competitions.
Sarah revealed that she was inspired by Irish Olympic icon Sonia O’Sullivan winning silver at the 2000 Olympics.
She told Image.ie: “I was seven years old when I took up running but from an early age, it was honestly the impact of seeing Sonia O’Sullivan win her silver medal in Sydney in 2000 that gave me real inspiration.
“I just remember thinking I can do that!
“The exposure that women’s athletics in the sports world had then was just amazing and the whole country got so behind it.
“So I started begging my parents to join a running club.
“The fact that I went on to win the Munster Championships in the same year, and then on to win at a national level in Tullamore, of course, did help me twist their arms.
“I did however do a lot of sports when I was younger, including basketball and Gaelic as well as all of the athletics such as cross country and sprinting.
“It wasn’t until I was about 14 or 15 that I specialised in hurdles.”
Her talent was quickly evident and accumulated a formidable CV as an athlete.
In 2013, she won a silver medal at the European Junior Championships, and went on to come ninth in the European Indoor Championships in 2021.
That same year, she made her Olympic debut in Tokyo and won bronze in the 100m hurdles at the European Games in 2023.
Last summer, Lavin competed at her second Olympics in Paris, getting to the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles.
How did her family influence her?
Lavin is part of a close-knit family, and credited her parents for assisting her in achieving her athletics goals.
In that same interview, she explained: “My earliest mentors were my family and particularly my parents as they have always supported me, both with encouragement and praise as well as the practicalities of giving me lifts to races, training, competitions and events, and financing them too.
Sarah Lavin and her dog Olly[/caption]
“I have to credit my brother, Joseph and sister, Nicole too, for not being resentful about that.
“Both of my siblings are really sporty themselves. My sister went on to do sports science at the University of Limerick and is now a dietician.
“We share a house together and she looks after my meal plans very well.”
She also has a dog, named Olly.
Who was her partner Craig Breen?
Tragedy struck in 2023 when Sarah Lavin’s boyfriend Craig Breen sadly died.
The motorsport star passed away following a testing accident in April, colliding with a pole ahead of the Croatia Rally.
The 33-year-old had been in a long-term relationship with Lavin, who paid tribute to the Waterford-native as her “best friend” and “true love”.
In an emotional Instagram post, she said: “My best friend, I will miss you forever Craig. Thank you for showing me true love.
“You were so much more than a driver to so many people. I will love you always, sweet dreams sweetheart 
”
When she was named flagbearer alongside Shane Lowry for the Paris Olympics, Lavin dedicated the landmark to Breen.
She said: “Yeah, it’s been incredible difficult from a performance perspective.
“Going into Tokyo, I’d broken 13 seconds once and this time round I think I’ve qualified 10 times in the last 12 months for this Games.
“I was the last person on the plane the last time round, I think I was the first from the athletics side this time.
“I’m running for a lot. And I hope to keep Craig close to me for the next few days, as always.”
