AIB Tralee Supports Shona In Her Bid For World University Games Glory

.

Shona Heaslip (front right) with Sarah Healy, AIB, Joe Shannon AIB Tralee Branch Manager  and Tomás Griffin AIB presenting her with a cheque for €200 towards her expenses. Photo by Dermot Crean

A TRALEE woman will be competing for Ireland at the World University Games next week.

Shona Heaslip from Mounthawk is off to Taipei in Taiwan on Thursday with the Irish team and we met her yesterday at AIB Tralee who are supporting her with the trip.

Remarkably, 22-year-old Shona only took up running three years ago and will run in the 5,000 metres heat on Friday, August 25, which will be shown live on Eurosport TV.

Continued below…

.

“I started three years ago after I gave up competitive Irish dancing. My first race was actually the Rose of Tralee 10k in 2014. That day I met my coach, Niamh O’Sullivan, and she asked me if I’d be interested in taking up athletics,” said Shona, daughter of Liz and Gerry Heaslip.

Two months later she made the Irish team for the European championships. This year she won the National Senior Cross Country Championships and travelled to Italy for the European championships in June where she finished fourth. Her long term ambition is to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

AIB Tralee said they are delighted to be providing financial support for Shona, a third year student of Health and Leisure at IT Tralee, who expressed her gratitude for their assistance.

AIB are also involved in supporting the new sports Centre of Excellence currently being developed at the college.

Shona Heaslip with Sarah Leahy of AIB opening a student account via iPad. Photo by Dermot Crean

Shona is shown above opening a student account via iPad. The account opening process is extremely quick and streamlined, and a very interactive process as students use the iPads themselves in branch to open the account.

AIB offer a complete range of third level products and the staff in Tralee branch would be delighted to assist any new or existing third level students with account opening or advice on student lending.