‘Running helped me through everything’ – Emma Hickey on how the death of her mother shaped her journey to become European medallist

‘Running helped me through everything’ – Emma Hickey on how the death of her mother shaped her journey to become European medallist

Wexford teenager Emma Hickey made Irish athletics history at the weekend, becoming the country’s first-ever female U20 medallist at the European Cross Country Championships. But behind the podium finish lies a year the New Ross athlete and her family describe as “bittersweet”, marked by personal loss, resilience and quiet determination.