The stars never aligned for her at the Olympic Games. She ran in two – Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 – but was never at her best and even when she was two years ago, a last-minute injury stopped her competing in Paris.

She was all set to try again for Los Angeles in 2028, which was to be the swansong of her career.

That was before the devastating cancer diagnosis in May 2025.

Even then Ciara decided to share her news publicly. It was those qualities again of resilience and determination to fight and in doing so provide inspiration to those who would find themselves in a similar situation.

That was who she was, in athletics and in life – an inspiration to others

I have many memories of Ciara including surprising her at home in Portaferry with the BBC Sport Northern Ireland Personality of the Year in 2023.

Filming in Portaferry was always fun because her mum, Catherine, would always lay out a welcoming spread of scones and cake and tea.

It’s Catherine and Ciara’s dad Chris, her husband Thomas and family that are in my thoughts today.

When I last spoke to Ciara, her relentless positivity remained undimmed.

Her infectious personality, quick wit, and smile left a lasting impression and her achievements on the track will serve as inspiration to others to never lose hope in the pursuit of dreams.



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