Olive helps fun run add up for Simon

From crunching the numbers to pounding the pavements — Central Statistics Office (CSO) staff hit the road yesterday to raise funds for homeless charity Cork Simon.

And not that her numbers matter, but the staff at the CSO’s Cork headquarters in Mahon had a very special colleague who just happens to be a world silver medallist and four-time race-walking Olympian who has represented her country, setting a tough pace.

CSO data statistician, Olive Loughnane, the retired Irish race walker who competed in the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and who represented Ireland at five consecutive world athletics championships, taking a silver medal in the 20km walk at the Berlin world championships in 2009, togged out alongside dozens of her co-workers for a 3k lunchtime fun run, and a 5k run along the old railway line which runs alongside the CSO office.