Sonja is a good sport!

The Coordinator with Westmeath Sports Partnership, Sonja Statham is about to showcase everything that Westmeath has to offer in the world of sport and recreational activity during the upcoming "Destination Sport" week in Mullingar.Sonja and everyone who works with her at the Westmeath Sports Partnership have been working flat out to co-ordinate the wealth of clubs in the county and create innovative events that will capture the public's imagination."While sport is competition, it is more importantly participation. We would like everyone to come out and see what all the different clubs have to offer. I think they are going to be amazed by everything there is going on in Mullingar and there really is something for everyone - not just children because a lot of clubs are now catering for people who are returning to activity after not doing it since they were at school.So clubs are welcoming people, regardless of their ability or their fitness levels and really encouraging them to give it a go. take part and be part of something really fun. This is where people can really add a great quality to their lives," says Sonja.Sonja has two little girls of her own Éabha and Caoimhe and already she knows that when they are little older, she will be running everywhere with them."I will want the children to have loads of activities when they get a little older. I will want them to try everything and anything but the one thing I will be looking for in their activities is that they are having fun."Everything for children should be fun. Whether good or bad at a sport, for kids it's about getting to participate, making friends.Parents should be looking for these two things when they bring their kids to a club, fun and that they are getting to participate," says Sonja.Sonja, who is in her early thirties, was born in Kilkenny.At school she played every sport she could including swimming, gymnastics, hockey and basketball but as she got older she concentrated more and more on her swimming.Sonja won Junior and Senior Swimming titles in breast stroke and Individual Medley. After her Leaving Cert, her swimming achievements gained her a much coveted swimming scholarship to the USA and the University of Iowa."It wasn't a great culture shock as Iowa is rural America but I didn't come home during the first year and it was hard to settle in the first year."In America, student athletes are treated like the creme de la creme of the student population. Extra help is given to ensure that you can compete to the best of your ability in your sport and still maximise your academic learning."There is a balance, one is not allowed to over take the other and high demands are placed on you to try and be the very best. Eventually you become absorbed in learning and it becomes second nature to be driven and to achieve," describes Sonja.After 4 years in college, Sonja worked in Texas in health promotion.When she returned to Ireland, Sonja worked at the HSE in Navan as a Physical Activities officer and in 2003 completed her masters in Physical Activity, Nutrition and Public Health.In 2004, Sonja came to Mullingar to be a part of the inception of the Westmeath Sports Partnership."My job is challenging and rewarding. It has changed immensely since it started. In the beginning it was very hands on for me but now as the partnership has developed in the last six years my work has become more and more administrative," says Sonja.Sonja herself knows how important it is to have a social outlet and how belonging to a sports club can help you to make friends."When I came to Mullingar I knew absolutely no-one. I joined the Tri club and participated in the Tri-to-beat-cancer triathalon. This introduced me to the harriers, the Wheelers and the Jets, where I made many really good friends."For many adults, its a hard bridge to gap between leaving college and then trying to manage work and life time. There is a real trend now for people in their twenties returning to sport but that do not want to go back into that competitive world that they knew at school."Clubs are now catering for people like this and it is the best place to go to meet people and have a really good, active personal life. I would say to everyone to get out there and try something new and no better place to see all the clubs have to offer than Destination Sports week."