Sonia O’Sullivan: From my very first meeting with Ciara Mageean I knew she was someone special

One of my earliest memories of Ciara Mageean is meeting her for a coffee at The Winding Stair cafe by the river Liffey in Dublin. And Ciara being gently insistent that she preferred a cup of tea, and being quite specific about that – one of those little things that stick with you. That was the thing with Ciara: I vividly remember every time we crossed paths, there was always some significance to it. This would have been around the summer of 2010, we’d met once or twice before, and I was just letting her know that if she needed any advice or ever wanted to ask a question, then I’d be there.I was aware of her potential from before that, starting with the 2009 European Youth Olympic Festival, in Tampere in Finland. I was part of the management team, as deputy chef de mission, and Ciara won the 1,500m. At that time, she also was considering a few offers to take up a US scholarship, including at Villanova, where I had gone to college. READ MOREI got the impression she was more inclined to stay at home, which she did, and pursue her own path in that way too, as she was very close to her family, and coach Eamonn Christie. Even at that young age, 17 going on 18, her name was already being mentioned in the same sentence as my own, ever since Ciara began breaking some of my Irish junior records.Sonia O'Sullivan and Ciara Mageean in Brussels after Mageean broke O'Sullivan's 27-year-old Irish record for the 1,500m. Photograph: Sonia O'Sullivan I’m sure that wasn’t an easy thing for her, and I knew that as well, so it was something I always tried to shy away from. I think maybe Ciara was always trying to find her way out of that, but also I think for Ciara it was never about being “the next Sonia”, it just being the best she could be.I see a bit of that in my daughter Sophie, the comparisons often mentioned, when in reality, they only ever want to be an athlete of their own.Then when Ciara was being coached by Jerry Kiernan, and we worked together on the RTÉ panel, Jerry was always happy to share the joy he got from coaching and spending time with her. Especially after she was trying to make her way back from potential career-ending injuries. And that did take a long time, but Ciara was always determined to make it work, and I think if an athlete is going to be great, then they’re going to find a way through these setbacks.Just like my running career, it was a bit of a rollercoaster when it came to the major championships. There were a lot of ups and downs, but I think people relate to that, and that’s why Ciara made an emotional connection with the people of Ireland far beyond the athletics track.Ciara Mageean during the 'Run with Ciara' event at Morton Stadium, Dublin, in July. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho Ciara was simply unlucky when it came to the Olympics, the timing just didn’t work out, which happens with so many athletes. It also took her a while before she moved to England and realised sometimes you need to break the ties to be better again. When she did do that, she fully embraced it, and things changed a lot for her. When Ciara was at her fittest she was also a great tactician, could always put herself in the right position. Maybe the best example of that came at the 2024 European Championships in Rome, when Ciara just refused to be beaten, although she probably could have won that a bit easier, and not leave everybody holding their breath.But that was probably one of her greatest races, and unfortunately came so soon before she had to withdraw from the Paris Olympics.Another night I won’t forget was when she broke my Irish 1,500m record when winning the Brussels Diamond League. I was in the stadium that night, and Ciara had only got a starting place a few days before. We always say to athletes that if you’re given an opportunity, you have to take every advantage of it.Ciara Mageean after receiving her 1,500m gold medal at t he European Athletics Championships in 2024. Photograph: Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images for European Athletics She’d been trying to break four minutes for a long time, and then she brought it straight down to 3.56. That was a massive breakthrough, because all of a sudden she was up there with the very best in the world, and it came relatively late in her career, at age 30.I think for Ciara, when breaking my senior record, she’d finally earned her own place as the best Irish female 1,500m runner. That was her title now. It felt like a climax of everything she had been trying to achieve all those years and, finally, she could take the baton from me. It wasn’t even a discussion point any more, it was just about Ciara being acknowledged and recognised on her own terms. On her warm-down lap that night, we had the warmest embrace, as we both acknowledged that finally Ciara had crashed through the glass ceiling she had been targeting for so long. Again through my daughter Sophie, I also saw how Ciara was always very encouraging to other athletes. So it came full circle, after the early conversations I had with Ciara, all of a sudden it was another generation again that Ciara was now inspiring and helping along.More than anything, I always got the sense Ciara was determined that every time she got to represent Ireland, she wanted to do her absolute best. And if things didn’t work out, how she was going to be better the next time.Ciara Mageean at Croke Park in July. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Because Ciara always had her own unique way of pushing any negative things aside, and we all saw that in the way she dealt with her illness over the last year and a half. How she was determined to live out her life as best she could, and that’s the greatest example anyone can give to people.Maybe over the last few weeks and months, she saw some progress at times, which also made the news on Sunday such a shock to everyone. I was also engaged with everything she was able to do with a smile over the last year, and maybe more than any of her athletic achievements, the way she was able to just eke out every little bit of energy from her life.We may not yet know the name of the athlete who will break Ciara’s records, but she has set the bar high, and there’s no doubt Ciara will be there in spirit, happy to pass the baton when the next time comes.