‘Never give up, keep fighting’ – How Wicklow woman Lorraine Whelan survived a serious car crash to ski for Ireland

Expecting her to be near the family home in Delgany, Co Wicklow, he was shocked to see his daughter’s location was St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.

As the family raced to get there they were delayed by a road being blocked off due to an accident. Upon arrival at St Vincent’s they realised it had involved his daughter, who was hit by a car as she crossed the road near her place of work in Dublin.

Ms Whelan (44) sustained such ­serious injuries in the 2018 incident the family were told she was lucky to be alive.

“The medical people more or less said to us ‘you’re lucky to have her’ it was that serious an ­accident,” Brendan told the Sunday ­Independent.

The doctor said they would be carrying out an MRI scan on her head to make sure there was no injuries there.

“It was probably the longest hour we ever had, waiting for him to come back and say ‘no, her head’s fine but her leg isn’t’.”

­Lorraine’s most severe injuries were to one of her legs and as a veteran of the Special Olympics World Winter Games there were fears she would never be able to ski again.

Only a year before she had been part of the 26-strong Team Ireland at the Austrian Special Olympics World Winter Games. But she was determined those Games would not be her last hurrah on the world stage.

Fast-forward to last week as she made an extraordinary comeback to represent Ireland on the slopes in Italy.

She will return to Dublin Airport this afternoon to a hero’s welcome after competing for Team Ireland in multiple disciplines of alpine skiing in Sestriere, a ski resort on Italy’s western Alps near the border with France.

It was her fifth World Winter Games, with her first appearance taking place 24 years ago in Alaska.

“It was a fairly serious one,” Brendan said of the accident. “She had a lot of operations. We were pretty certain that was the end of her skiing, but in fairness Lorraine didn’t agree with that assessment.”

He said her determination “shone through” to get back to this level.

Lorraine was given special boots in order for her to get back skiing again.

“A year later she went on to the slopes in Kilternan to ski again, which we never thought she would, and then she’s been practising ever since,” Brendan said.

“She qualified last year in the ­Ireland Games for this and here we are.”

Lorraine has picked up more than half a dozen medals at World Winter Games down the years. The team’s skiers practise on dry slopes in ­Kilternan, Co Dublin and Craigavon, Co Armagh.

“This is honestly the toughest Games I’ve been to so far and I’m going to qualify for the next ones hopefully. Never give up, keep on fighting and fighting,” Lorraine said.

“I thought I was dead after my crash — I thought I was gone, body and soul I was gone. But something clicked in my head and I’m back here — look at me now.”

Competing at the Games may be the pinnacle for athletes, but Lorraine said there is much more to it than just that, with lifelong friends made throughout the journey.

Not content with just alpine skiing, she is also an accomplished swimmer. She is making plans for the Special Olympics Ireland Regional Games coming up in the next few weeks.

The World Games concluded last night with a closing ceremony at ­Turin’s Inalpi Arena, with Team ­Ireland due in Dublin this afternoon, with an impressive medal haul.