Shine and Rohan chosen as sports star winners

Roscommon football star Donie Shine and world paracycling gold medallist Mark Rohan have been chosen as Westmeath Independent sports award winners for the months of July and August respectively. Shine was an inspiration figure in Roscommon’s sensational Connacht SFC final victory over Sligo at McHale Park, Castlebar, last July.

Sligo entered the game as favourites having defeated Connacht heavyweights Mayo and Galway en route to the final, but Shine’s ten-point haul - including the winning point from a late free - saw the Rossies crowned Connacht champions. The Clann na nGael star’s performances in the 2010 season were recognised when he was nominated for an All-Star award and for the GPA team of the year award. The tough competition for places in the full-forward saw Shine edged out by some big names in the battle for those awards, but that couldn’t take away from what was a wonderful campaign for the DCU student.

Shine won an All-Ireland minor medal winner with Roscommon in 2006 - when he produced a stunning display in the final replay against Kerry, something which also earned him a Westmeath Independent sports star award. A former student of Athlone Community College, with whom he enjoyed notable success, Shine also won a Sigerson Cup medal with DCU and a Connacht Under-21 FC medal with Roscommon earlier this year - in what has been a hugely memorable season for the attacking ace. Ballinahown-native Mark Rohan secured Ireland’s first ever Paracycling World Championship gold medal when winning the H1 Handcycling Road Race in Baie-Comeau, Canada, in August. Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Rohan said he was just about to restart training by clocking up the miles, albeit at a low intensity, over the next eight weeks. Early in January, he hopes to join a warm weather training camp in South Africa ahead of the 2011 competitive season.

Rohan is aiming to improve his ranking within Europe next year, with the ultimate aim of securing a potential place in the World Paralympics in London in 2012. “The end goal will be to represent Ireland in the Paralympics in 2012,” he said. It’s expected Ireland will secure at least two qualifying slots in paralympic cycling - and the Paralympic Council of Ireland has devised a panel of potential athletes.

The Westmeath Independent Sports Stars of the Year Awards night, sponsored by the Hodson Bay Hotel, takes place on Friday, January 28, 2011.