Cootehill para-cyclist takes home two silver World Championship medals

Veronica Corr

Just months after joining Ireland’s para-cycling development squad, Cootehill native Sinead Greenan took home two silver medals alongside her tandem pilot Alice Sharpe at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Alabama.

The 33-year-old physiotherapist, who now lives in Offaly competed under her maiden name, flew to the United States last weekend alongside tandem pilot Alice Sharpe following a breakthrough season that has taken her from development rider to European medallist in a matter of months.

Sinead’s mother, Andrea, is from Cootehill, while her father, Mark, is from Rockcorry, Co Monaghan. Greenan still proudly regards Cavan as home and says she is fortunate to have the unwavering support of her husband, Colm Hill, as she pursues her sporting ambitions.

Greenan, who was born with congenital cataracts and secondary glaucoma, has lived with a visual impairment her entire life. While regular hospital visits and sight loss were simply part of growing up for her, she says the greatest challenge has come more recently as her vision has deteriorated significantly over the past two years.

“It was always the way I was, so I didn’t know any different,” she said. “That was just my reality. The past couple of years have been harder to come to terms with because that’s the first time really that my vision has changed a lot.”

The worsening condition has forced major changes in her everyday life. Greenan and her husband are currently in the process of moving from the rural home where they expected to stay long-term to a more accessible location in Tullamore, allowing her to travel independently using public transport.

A former student of Loreto College, Cavan, Greenan excelled academically and received a prestigious JP McManus Scholarship following her Leaving Certificate results. The award proved life-changing, enabling her to complete a degree in Physiotherapy at Trinity College Dublin.

“That literally got me through college,” she said. “I don’t think I would have been able to stay at college otherwise.”

Cycling has been a lifelong passion, offering both freedom and independence. As her eyesight worsened, however, even mountain biking became increasingly risky: “I absolutely loved the freedom of it,” she recalled. “Losing that was really tough.”

Determined not to give up the sport she loved, she looked towards para-cycling and joined Cycling Ireland’s para-cycling development squad in March. What followed has been little short of extraordinary.

Greenan was selected for a World Cup event in Belgium just weeks later and met her tandem pilot, Alice Sharpe, only three days before the pair raced together for the first time.

Despite barely knowing one another, they secured bronze in the time trial. “It was a whirlwind,” she said. “We just never expected it.”

The partnership continued to flourish and in June they claimed silver at the European Para-cycling Championships in Maniago, Italy, finishing just one second behind the winning British tandem after a dramatic sprint finish.

Remarkably, the pair have spent fewer than 30 days training together due to living in different countries. Sharpe lives in Cambridge and has family connections to Belfast. Sharpe and Greenan first trained together properly at a camp in Mallorca in July. They are currently based near Naas for a final training camp ahead of the World Championships.

From the outset, Greenan says trust has been the cornerstone of their success: “It’s a really important relationship because both people need to trust that the other is going to do their best,” she explained.

“Alice can see what’s happening in the race and sometimes she doesn’t have time to communicate everything. She has to make split-second decisions and I have to trust her completely.”

Off the bike, elite para-sport brings its own challenges. A track tandem suitable for international competition costs around €20,000, and Greenan is currently riding a bike on loan from Cycling Ireland. Purchasing her own track tandem is a key goal as she plans to expand into velodrome racing next season.

“It’s not really possible without support,” she admitted. “I don’t have €20,000 to spend on a bike.”

On Monday Greenan and Sharpe claimed their second silver medal of the 2026 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships finishing runner-up in the Women’s B road race in Huntsville, Alabama.

Securing medals in Alabama has not only capped a dream first season but it could also unlock valuable Sport Ireland funding for 2027.

For Greenan, however, simply racing in the green jersey remains a source of immense pride: “A year ago, I was training in my shed and now I’m cycling for Ireland,” she said.

While this season has exceeded every expectation, her ambition stretches even further. Next year’s focus will centre on building towards qualification for the Los Angeles Paralympic Games.

“The ultimate goal, if I’m allowed say it out loud, would be to win the Paralympics,” she said. “That would be incredible, but to medal would also be amazing.”

For anyone facing adversity, Greenan’s message is one shaped by personal experience: “When things are hard, just take it one day at a time,” she said. “If you’re having a bad day, know you’ll get through it. Usually when you wake up in the morning things seem a little bit brighter. If you can take one bright thing from each day, things will eventually get better.”

Anyone interested in supporting Sinead Greenan’s para-cycling ambitions can contact her at sineadgreenan6@gmail.com