Joanne O'Riordan: The nation needs to get behind its female athletes

Joanne O’Riordan wants to challenge the status quo in women’s sports, writes Mary Cate Smith

As one of only seven people in the world with Tetra-amelia syndrome, Joanne O'Riordan is a trailblazer in the disability community and has always fought for equal opportunities and access.

Joanne O’Riordan was about six or seven, she remembers watching a match with her dad. It was Cork v Kerry in Fitzgerald Stadium but it may as well have been the final challenge in Squid Game. With just a few minutes to go, Cork scored, meaning a replay was in order. The O’Riordan household was euphoric.

“My dad picked me up out of the chair and threw me up in the air. So, there’s just a random picture at home of a limbless girl being hurled into the air.”