‘Tough women’ helping Joan Healy find her stride

The Cork woman will go in the heats of the 60m at the European indoors in Istanbul on Friday. 

PASSING THE BATON: Joan Healy has been getting help from Derval O'Rourke and Marian Heffernan. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Joan Healy ran a season’s best at the National Indoor Championships the weekend before last. Having finally found some rhythm in her sprinting, she wanted to keep racing. She wanted to push out her indoor campaign for longer than her two coaches had planned.

Those two coaches are Derval O’Rourke and Marian Heffernan. Chances are you’ve probably heard of them.